The Warmth We Share
by SmutKnight
Summary: An interactive novel with bimonthly installments, to vote for what the pair do next, consider supporting me on Patreon! A woodsman stumbles across a slave caravan, and just can't bring himself to leave the curious horned woman caged at the mercy of her captors. This unlikely hero finds himself undertaking an epic journey south to get his cold-blooded partner out of the frozen north
1. Chapter 1

The howling wind did little to muffle the dull crack of hatchet against wood, nor the steadily escalating altercation happening somewhere beyond the thicket. Henry lowered his axe, shaking the snow from his shoulders as he listened out for confirmation. Sure enough, there were raised voices carried on the wind, a herald of hostilities occurring on the path just behind. Henry raised his axe once more, eyes fixated on the knotted trunk before him. It was rare to meet another person when traversing these lanes, even rarer given the brewing blizzard and fading daylight. Whatever disagreement was taking place was surely no concern of his, however. He braced himself, lifting the tool once more, ready to chip away at the splintered gash in the tree trunk. With gritted teeth he steeled himself, a flickering flame-like feeling in his chest, the symptom of a change of heart. He lowered the axe once more, turning towards the path as he begrudgingly trudged through the snow towards the shouting.

Making his way through shin deep snow was tiring enough, let alone with the day's fishing hall strapped to his waist. Four large fish from the lake nearby, and he would have filled his knapsack with firewood had he not been rudely interrupted. He held the hatchet just under the head, using his free hand to move the limbs of the conifer trees out of the way as he continued towards the path. He scrunched his face up, second guessing whether or not he should get involved. He'd lived his life just fine so far by keeping to himself, why start getting involved in other people's bothersome nonsense now? He sighed, shaking his head. No, it was getting dark and it would be bitterly cold, if these folks were lost then the least he could do was point them in the right direction of the village. Probably just some folks from the south who took the wrong branch down at the crossroads.

As he breached the treeline onto the path, indeed it did seem the party were lost. Just in front of him were two sturdy looking horses, harnessed to a large hardwood carriage. Henry had little time to study the craftsmanship of the wagon, however, as the cacophony of shouts to his right drew his attention. Keeping to the treeline, hesitant to step out onto the dirt track dusted with snow, he moved steadily past the wagon as the owners came into view. Three men in thick burgundy tail coats were stood facing away from him, looking at something just out of view. One of the men held a smoldering lantern above his head, revealing just below the elbow, the white sleeves of their jackets. Henry grimaced. They were slavers.

From just behind the wagon, something heavy was thrown to the ground at the men's feet. Henry squinted at it, trying to make out it's shape in the dim light, retreating backwards into the treeline slightly.

"_If this stupid bitch won't keep her fuckin' coat on, the cold's going to do her in, and then fuckin' Clint's going to do __**us**_ _in"_ One of the men shouted out in frustration, lifting the thrown coat off of the ground and aggressively shaking the snow off of it.

"_Oh come off it, if you hadn't have got us fucking lost in the first place we'd have made it to Lampveller by now. We'd have got the fucking job done, we'd have been able to put our fucking feet up, hell maybe he'd have even let us have a go at the broad! But __**no**_…" The second man complained, rubbing his leather gloved hands together as he stomped the steadily collecting snow from his boots. His comment caused a commotion from whatever was behind the wagon, an aggressive crack like rock against metal, followed by a sinister hissing sound. Henry tilted his head slightly. He knew he should go, fuck the firewood and the slavers, he shouldn't get involved in other people's affairs. Especially not the affairs of such deplorable 'businessmen'. He spat into the snow, wondering which lord in town was so low as to do business with slavers. Regardless, if he left now there'd be just enough daylight to make it safely back to town, even without firewood.

"_Fuckin' arrowheads are all the same. what's wrong love? Haven't got the sense to know how to stay warm? Or are you just too fucking stubborn to do as you're __**fucking**_ _told"_ The third man bellowed, stepping forward with the lantern held high over his head. Henry stopped, looking over his shoulder at the men on the road. That flickering fire-like resolve he hated springing to life in his chest once more, that tug of empathy that caused him to turn around and creep back along the tree line, moving past the cart and behind the men. _Arrowhead?_ He thought to himself, cursing his curiosity and gripping his axe tight as he stepped silently past the wagon.

His eyes widened as the cage on wheels came into view; a barbaric looking holding cell attached to the back of the horse drawn carriage. There, stood with defiance in her eyes despite her trembling and shivering frame, was an Az'kel. Henry stared in disbelief. Az'kel were creatures of the south that he had only heard of from rumours told by intoxicated travellers trying to woo northern barmaids. You'd be forgiven for mistaking her for a human woman, were it not for the black basalt like abnormalities adorning her feminine body. Horns, dark as night, protruded from her head. Smooth as glass and as long as Henry's forearm, their intimidating size gave her an intimidating aura despite being over a foot shorter than himself.

A great black mass shifted behind her, lashing out and striking the bars in agitation. Henry's jaw dropped. She had a tail, too. It was as thick as her torso, extending out of her lower back. It was covered in what looked like thick overlapping armoured plates, with an arrow head shaped tip that glistened in the setting sun. By the sound it made as it collided with the bars of her prison, Henry guessed it was heavy and dull like a well worn axe head. Henry held his own in a white-knuckled grip as he watched on silently from amongst the trees.

The man holding the thick albeit ragged looking coat approached the bars, aggressively throwing the garment towards her. It landed at her feet, and her tail whipped back and forth along the bars in a frenzy of sparks and frustration. The man bearing the lantern stepped forward, holding tight to the bars, illuminating the woman within. Despite the blisteringly cold winter winds and the heavy crystalline snowflakes that swept through the cage unimpeded, her clothing was minimal. A ragged dirty bandage fastened around her breasts and some tattered rags that had more in common with swiss cheese than they did with functional shorts. Henry felt cold just to look at her, thankful for his own thick fur jacket. The wind blew fiercely, causing tremors and shaking to rise throughout her body. With gritted teeth and shaky legs, she kicked the coat along the dirty floor of the cage back at the men.

"_Stupid bitch won't let us start up a fire without snuffing it out, won't wear her damn coat. Fucking hells she won't make it to Lampveller. __**Especially**_ _if we don't figure out how the fuck to get there __**real fucking soon**_" The lantern-bearer barked, turning and shoving the man beside him to the ground who was bent down to retrieve the coat. He fell to his side, stumbling indignantly to his feet as he dusted himself off.

"_**You **__got us a shoddy map! __**You**_ _can't even get a woman half your size to wear a damn coat! I don't remember Clint putting your cowardly ass in charge in the first place!"_ The man bellowed back, his fists clenched and back straightened, tensions clearly flying high between the group. The lantern-bearer took a step towards him, the kind of remorseless glare upon his face one might expect from someone about to lose precious cargo to incompetence. The third man stepped between them both, his head down as he held the men at arm's reach.

"_Calm it with ya! Both of ya! You keep flapping your gums like that and Clint will have our hides for his fucking door mat."_ Interjected the more level headed of the men, shoving them both away from one another. Henry's eyes however were firmly upon the captured woman, who's tan skin seemed to grow more pale by the moment, her trembling more violent. If they didn't do something soon, she didn't look like she was going to make it. He studied her hateful expression, a glimmer of fear visible as she struggled to maintain her scowl throughout her shivering. He felt his heart thump in his chest, anxiety trying his stomach into knots as his hatchet weight seemed to triple in his hands. If he didn't do something soon, she wasn't going to make it. Henry crouched down amongst the conifer branches as two of the men turned around and walked around to the side of the carriage, leaving the man with the lantern stood studying the Az'kel.

"_Look, go in the back and look at the map again. We passed a few crossroads not far back, I'd wager my cut that we took a wrong turn somewhere there. That bloke at the inn said it weren't but half a days ride north and we're well past that now. Besides, with how shitty this track is, ain't no way there's a town at the end of this trail."_ He instructed, his surprisingly accurate observations going unnoticed by Henry who was hidden just a few feet away, unable to take his eyes off the suffering woman.

His colleague waved him off as he flung open the heavy carriage doors, stepping inside as he cursed aloud and began rummaging for the parchment. Pleased with his mediation skills, the man wandered briskly back to the cage. The man raised the lantern as his companion returned, spitting with frustration to the side as he watched the exotic woman struggle to even stand.

"_So what in the hells do you suggest we do about her then? We can't exactly put her in the carriage without her trying to escape or destroying the damn thing with that bludgeon of hers. Lampveller could be just up the fuckin' road and she'd be dead before we ever saw it's lights." _The man practically spat, the angry almost desperate tone of voice betraying his resentment of the uncooperative captive. Another defiant hiss escaped the woman's lips, though noticeably less intense than the last time. Her trembling lips no longer having the energy to muster a scowl, her eyes seemingly struggling to stay open. Henry could stand the sight of the woman's waning willpower no longer. His heart beat in his ears like the ancient drums of some long dormant war machine, the thunderous pulse spurring him forward. He stepped onto the snow-dusted cobbles of the track, holding his axe in a vice like grip against his chest.

"_How about we warm her up ourselves?"_ The lantern carrier declared, a troubling change to his cadence more akin to excitement than anger. His colleague looked at him, a confused look upon his face. The woman hissed once more, using one arm to grip the bars to help her stay up right, the other crossed shakily across her stomach.

"_Well"_ The man continued. "_That's why these Az'kel women are so popular up north. You get 'em cold enough and it takes the fight right out of 'em, soon enough they'll do __**anything**_ _for a little body heat. The tricky part is making sure they don't freeze to death before the fun can start"_ He concluded smugly, an inkling of pride in his voice that made Henry's stomach turn. He crept forward slowly, adjusting the axe in his hands, his numb fingers clamped tight against it's rough wood handle. _Disgusting. Vile. Unforgivable._ These were the only words that crossed his mind, his seething hatred for these unapologetic monsters fuelling the rage that pumped like fire through his veins.

"_What are you thinking then, wait until her legs give out then you and me keep her warm long enough to get to that damned town?"_ The other shot back eagerly, eyeing the trembling woman's curves. There came no hiss of resistance from the woman. She was leaning hard against the bars opposite them, struggling to keep her eyes open. Her knees began to buckle, struggling with all her might to stay on her feet.

"_Well would you look at that, looks like the little arrow's not got much fight left after all. Tell you what, you stand on her tail and hold her by the horns, I'll spread her legs nice and wi- __**NGHH**_" The man was cut short, courtesy of the axe head embedded in his back, forcing all air from his lungs. He was forced forwards, colliding heavily with the bars of the cage. The Az'kel's eyes widened in shock as she watched the slaver splutter crimson onto the snow below. For a moment the lantern-bearer looked at his companion with confusion, unable to comprehend what had happened. He turned slightly and now noticed the snow-dusted man stood behind them both, desperately trying to wrench the axe out of his friend's back.

Blood pounded in his ears. He tugged and pried but the axe was stuck firm, wrenched out of his gloved hands as the slave trader slumped to the side taking the axe with him. Henry whipped his head around towards the other trader, just in time to catch sight of the lantern mid-swing towards his face. The heavy metal implement collided viciously with his head, the glass shattering noisily into shards that tore at his cheek. Henry was staggered by the blow, slipping down on to his side as the dusting of fresh snow that had once aided his stealth now hindered his balance. He grunted, his right eye closed tight as blood trickled down from the lacerations spanning from his eyebrow to his chin. His vision blurred slightly, whether from the adrenaline or the impact, he couldn't tell. He looked up to the slaver, his mouth open in shock and his startled eyes searched the area for further assailants. The slaver's lips moved, though no sound other than a deafening high pitched ringing registered in Henry's ears. _Come on. Pp damn you. Get up._ Henry pleaded with himself, the world spinning slightly as he scrambled to his feet.

The woodsman got to his feet, his fists raised, a steady trickle of blood from his face onto the ground below. He couldn't wait for the third to show up, he had to act fast, he had to get her out. With a guttural roar that rumbled in his chest, he charged the slaver. His ferocity caused the man to hesitate, swinging his improvised bludgeon but a moment too late, colliding pathetically against his chest as the man collided at a full sprint into his. With a low centre of mass, driving his shoulder upwards into the man's ribs, Henry lifted him briefly off of his feet as he was dashed against the cage. The jail cell itself lifted slightly from the impact, threatening to topple the weak Az'kel's balance. Henry's feet slid across the cobbled as he strained to keep the man pinned against the bars. The slaver groaned and cursed, his shouts for help finally audible as the whine in Henry's head began to fade. The woodsman gritted his teeth and winced as the lantern was struck against his back repeatedly, his rapid desperate thoughts racing from retrieving the axe, attempting to disarm him, or escaping entirely.

He grimaced as the heavy metal frame clobbered his back once more. He flung his arm out and luckily managed to catch his forearm mid-swing, halting the rain of blows. Bellowing once more, struggling against the taller man's strength, he forced his arm back against the cage. The impact caused the slaver's grip to loosen, the lantern falling to the floor where it leaked oil onto the settling snow. Sensing his advantage, Henry adjusted his stance and clamped his forearm up beneath his chin and pressed down hard against his throat. With his free hand he began a flurry of blows, brutally pummeling his head against the rigid bars behind. Half a dozen ruthless impacts from the enraged man's fist was enough to stop the cruel man's resistance. His arms fell limp to his side as he slumped forward against Henry. He ceased his blows, struggling for breath as his bruised ribs fought to suck in the frigid arctic air. He stepped backwards to allow the body to fall to the floor. Exhausted and battered, he stood shaking slightly from the adrenaline. He looked from the two unmoving bodies to the woman in the cage. No longer able to support herself, she was on her knees knelt against the bars, her grip waning as her hand slid steadily down towards the floor. Her heavy eyelids fought to stay open, just long enough for him to notice she was looking to his side, not to him.

Henry flinched, whipping round and lifting his arm in reactionary defence as the third slaver came into view. Henry felt a sharp pain in his forearm, looking with confusion at the bloodied shaft that not protruded from the sleeve of his heavy fur coat. He lowered his arm slightly, revealing the crossbow bolt protruding from the other side, and the panicked slaver just behind that stood beside the cart. He fumbled with crossbow in his hands, cursing loudly as his trembling hands fumbled and dropped the bolt he was trying to load to the floor. Henry hesitated, gripping his arm as he looked fearfully to the armed combatant. He willed himself to move, but his legs stuck still, as if frozen firm to the floor. _I need to go now, before he's loaded. What if he loads again? How badly am I hurt? Why can't I move? Move damn you. __**Move damn you.**_

He wrestled air into his lungs, his heart beating fiercely in his chest, his legs carrying him forward. He began to close the distance, stampeding towards the arbelist. His heavy boots impacting the stone roadway below echoed out against the surrounding trees, accompanied by the panicked shouts of the slaver as he struggled to load his weapon. The bowstring clicked into place just as Henry bore down on him, about to barrel shoulder first into him. The bolt was loosed. Henry closed his eyes as his momentum sent the slaver flying backwards, his head hitting the cobbled road with a sickening crack, the crossbow splintering into pieces. Henry fell beside him, losing his footing from the impact. He rolled over, gasping as he noticed the bolt protruding from his side. He gripped it instinctively, but was surprised to feel no pain. Tracing the shaft with his fingers, he was relieved to find it merely embedded in the lining of his coat, the slaver having shot wide in his panic.

Henry lay there for a moment, his chest rising and falling hard as the cuts and bruises he had received began to be felt by his sore body. He panted hoarsely as he looked to his side, the unmoving body of the third slaver beside him. He began to recover from his fight or flight response, the adrenaline waning as the fog began to clear from his mind. With shaking hands, he touched the bolt stuck through his arm. It hurt to move, but he was relieved to find it had merely grazed his skin rather than shot straight through. A dull clatter from behind the cart brought him back to the urgency of the situation. He sat up with a groan of pain, getting to his feet as he hurried to the cage. The imprisoned woman was laid down on her side, her frame shuddering and her eyes closed, he chest scarcely moving as shallow breaths escaped her lips.

"_No no no, hold on!"_ Henry cried out in desperation and frustration, getting to his knees as he searched the men for the keys to the cage. As he rolled one of the men over, he spotted the large metallic keyring affixed to his waistband, and roughly wrenched the keys free. His hands shook violently as he looked at her limp body laid before him, fumbling to get the key into the lock. After a few precious moments, the lock clunked open, and the heavy door swung free. Wasting no time, the woodsman removed his coat, roughly snapping the bolts free from the fabric as he draped the thick fur garment across her body. He bent down, scooping the woman up in his arms, surprised by her weight as her armour plated tail hung heavily down against the filthy cage floor. Even in his urgency, he couldn't help but notice the dents and chips littering the bars all around the cage. Carefully, minding not to hit her horns against the bars, he carried her out of the cage onto the snowy path. A strong gust howled through the trees, causing him to shiver as it cut straight through his comparatively thin top. He stepped over the slaver's bodies, the now open cage door banging loudly as it was blown about behind them.

He trudged around the cart, the soft orange glow coming from the open carriage door signalling a haven from the frigid blizzard. Stabs of pain shot through his injured arm, his bruised back straining with the effort as he bundled her inside the wagon. The fairly spacious interior was lined with furs and fabrics, two wide pillowed seats on either side of the carriage with a black cast iron fireplace between the two, opposite the door. Despite his pain, Henry couldn't help but grimace in disgust at the decadence the men had been travelling in while they forced her to remain in such abysmal living conditions fully exposed to the elements. He laid her gently down on one of the seats, her entire body able to lie with room to spare even despite her large horns. Her tail hung limply from the seat, curled slightly on the ground in front of the fireplace. Henry knelt down in front of the heater, watching as the small flame dwindled, threatening to be snuffed out entirely. Searching the carriage, he spotted a small stack of firewood just under the furnace, and carefully stacked them up allowing the flame to roar back to life.

Henry sat on the floor next to her tail for a moment, panting from the stress and exertion, his head bubbling and swimming with thoughts. He had just killed three men. Slave traders, scum who stole not just the lives but the dignity of men and women alike, but men nonetheless. He felt sick to his stomach, thinking of their bodies that lay slumped unmoving outside, steadily being covered in snow. _No, I mustn't think that way_. He reasoned, looking to his side at the weakened woman who lay unconscious, her breathing less shallow than before as warmth returned to her. _I've __**saved**_ _a life._

A pop from the fireplace drew Henry back to the real world, gazing at the growing flame. Although the logs had taken well, he knew unless he got more firewood soon the flame would die out within the were no more logs left under the heater, and his eyes widened as he remembered where his axe was currently. _Shit. _He stood up, another wave of nausea washing over him as he realised he needed to deal with the bodies. While it was true this road was seldom used, after all it only lead to a few crumbling stone ruins, the chances of hunters and ice fisherman using it was too high to chance leaving them visible. He put his hand against the wall of the carriage, supporting himself as he cursed again under his breath. He went to hold his head in his hands but yelped involuntarily as his fingers met his lacerated face. He bent down to look at his reflection in the glass of the fireplace, studying the cuts he had sustained.

The right side of his face was slightly swollen, the bruising already beginning to show, with several small horizontal gashes from the broken glass. Though they stung to touch and bled slightly, thankfully none of them looked very deep. As a hot wetness dripped along his wrist and down to his fingertip, Henry reluctantly began rolling up his sleeve to inspect his forearm. Just as he had suspected, the bolt had grazed his arm leaving a nasty looking gouge that leaked crimson. Henry got to his feet and searched a wooden shelf above the resting woman, relieved to find a flask. He took a small swig, and sure enough it was full of whiskey. He took a much larger swig, before stepping out into the cold, making sure to shut the door behind him. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as he doused his arm in the liquid to clean it. He poured some into his hand and rubbed it aggressively against the wounds on his face, cursing aloud at how bad it hurt.

Closing the flask back up, he surveyed the carnage properly, looking up and down the trail for any signs of life. The wind had picked up, and with it came large flakes of snow, the sun dipping below the mountains to the north. He doubted anyone would be taking the road in these conditions, but even so he needed to move the bodies out of sight. He grimaced at the axe still jutting from one of the men, and reluctantly he put his foot against his back to help to wrench it free. He cleaned the bloodsoaked head against the snow, before leaning the tool against the carriage, thinking of how best to move them. He jumped slightly as the door of the cage banged shut once more in the wind. Perhaps that would do. After all, if he wanted to move this woman anywhere he couldn't very well have the cage attached to the back. Lifting the axe above his head, he brought it down heavily destroying the chain attaching the cell to the wagon.

Fortunately the cell itself was light enough to push by hand, and with great effort Henry was able to shunt the prison on wheels off of the lane and into the treeline. He stepped back onto the road, satisfied that it was adequately hidden from view. He bit his lip as he turned his attention back to the bodies. He couldn't very well bury them, even if he had a shovel he'd freeze to death long before he was able to break through the frozen ground. He also couldn't in good conscience leave them out in the open at the mercy of whatever predatory beast happened to catch their scent first. He scratched his head, wincing slightly as he accidentally touched a cut. From beyond the treeline, he heard the cage door slam shut in the wind, giving him his solution. Though the effort of lifting them hurt his bruised body, one by one he loaded the men into the cage. He shut the door, locking it and leaving the key in the lock. Were he not starting to shiver he might have considered their final resting place to be rather poetic. Instead, he shook his head sadly, rubbing his arms with his hands as he made his way back to the carriage.

He kicked the crimson stained snow off of the road, wanting to leave as little trace of the skirmish as possible. Making his way around to the front of the carriage, he studied the two horses cautiously. Indeed, they were breed native to these northern lands, and due to their thick furry coat he had no doubt they'd be fine left without shelter. Climbing atop the driver's seat, he untied them from their reigns and instead tied them around a tree a little ways off of the path to let them stretch their legs and get comfortable. They were nervous around him, but as soon as he discovered the sack half full with apples tucked down next to the seat, he soon won them around with a tasty evening snack. He smiled at the two gentle giants, patting one appreciatively on the side, before heading back onto the road and stomped his feet clear of snow before quickly entering the warmth of the carriage.

He closed the door behind him quietly, silencing the whistling winds outside, leaving only the steady crackling of the fire. He looked down at the strange woman, who lay motionless across the seat. To say she was beautiful felt like an understatement, her soft caramel skin looked as soft as silk. There was a prominent vertical scar that started at the corner of her mouth and extended down to her chin. He wondered if this was an injury caused by the slavers. Though her eyes were closed, he could vividly remember her piercing emerald green eyes, the likes of which he'd never seen. Her hair was strangely silver, tied back in a large messy braid. He'd seen silver hair before, sure, but only among elders. It was her horns that captivated him the most. Though they seemed intimidating at first glance, he realised they were actually rather blunt at the top, the smooth material a shiny black that reminded him of volcanic glass. He wanted to reach out and touch them, but such a brief of privacy was not in his nature. He adjusted his coat that lay atop her like a blanket, pulling it up to her shoulders. Though she was shorter than he was, her legs were still largely uncovered by the coat. He glanced down at them, but feeling his cheeks flush red, he looked away. The poor woman's shorts did little to conceal her modesty, ending just as her thighs began.

He decided there must be a blanket or something he could cover her properly with, and turned to face the seat on the opposite side of the coach. He nudged it upwards slightly, and sure enough there was under-seat storage. Just as he lifted the cushioned seat, he heard something scrape behind him. He turned, raising an eyebrow in confusion. The woman's eyes were still shut tight, but her tail had moved slightly. The heavy black weight on the end of her tail looked as if it were made of obsidian, knacked and carved into a crude arrowhead. _No wonder they use arrow as an insult_ He thought, noting it's striking similarity, even if it were more akin to the size of an arrowhead a giant might use. Satisfied that she was still sound asleep, he turned his attention back to the storage unit. Indeed, there were a few blankets and items of clothing bundled up together. Much to his delight, there was also a few waterskins, dried meats, and a few curious vegetables he couldn't identify-

_**Scrape**_

Henry flinched, feeling something heavy pressing firmly against the base of his neck. He dared not move, the cushioned lid of the storage space falling back into place as a seat once more.

"_Sit down. Slow."_ The feminine voice called out from behind him, a curious foreign tone to her voice. Henry did as she said, slowly turning himself around, keeping his arms deadly still so as to not provoke her. As he turned, the Az'kel came into view sat up with gritted teeth, fists clenched. Henry gulped as the tip of her monstrously sized tail pressed firmly against his throat. It wasn't sharp, but he had seen the damage she had done to the cage with her tail, and the thought of having his throat crushed was much more terrifying than having it cut. He lowered himself backwards into a sitting position, the tip of her tail following him down as he moved.

"_Slaver?"_ She asked impatiently, here eyes flicking from Henry to the door.

"_N-no, I'm a tree feller, a uh, a lumberjack. I cut down trees." _He explained dumbly, hoping that with every word the intimidating angry look would leave her face. It did not. Her teeth were bared, and only now that he was close to her did he notice they were sharp and pointed like a wolf's. Her eyes moved up and down his body, her tail pressing harder against his throat, searching him for weapons.

"_Why? Why did you kill them? Who are you?"_ She asked accusingly, a slight hiss to her voice. Henry noticed her expression slip slightly as her eyes moved to the fish tied to his waste, a look of hunger and vulnerability in her eyes before they continued to stare daggers at him.

"_I'm Henry. Henry Embers, I live in Lampveller, the town nearby. Where the slave tra- uh… the men were taking you."_ He began, the pressure against his throat increasing as he mentioned the slavers, immediately regretting his decision to do so. He continued, his voice strained by her tail.

"_I'd finished fishing and I hear a commotion and… I saw them and I s-saw you and I was going to leave because It's not my business but"_ He paused, noting the confusion in her eyes. "_I-I couldn't. That isn't right, what they were doing. I saw you throw the coat away, you were trying to… well I saw what you'd prefer to being in that cage."_ He continued solemnly, having never seen someone so willing to end their life like she had been, the thought tugging at his heartstrings. "_I had to do something. I had to help you."_ He concluded, slowly lowering his hands down onto his lap. The Az'kel moved her tail away from his throat, hovering nearby as a looming threat just incase she need it. Henry rubbed at his throat thankfully, coughing lightly.

"_You killed three men for me, to h-help Azrielle, for what? What do you want with Azrielle?"_ She questioned, a small joly in her voice betraying the mixture of emotions that lay beneath her stern threatening surface.

"_Azrielle."_ Henry repeated to himself, never having heard such a name before. "_I don't want anything with you. I want to help you, help you get back home. I don't know where that is but I-"_ Henry began, pausing as the woman opposite burst into tears. Her tail fell to the ground, curling round at her feet as her body shook with sobs. Henry felt his heart melt, the familiar misery akin to that of his grieving mother or widow. Her whole body trembled as she cried out loudly and unrestrained. This poor woman had been enslaved, taken from her home, dragged halfway across the world. Henry figured she must have been robbed of every last shred of hope, why else would she have tried to kill herself in the cold rather than get to her destination. She must be exhausted in every possible sense of the word, and overwhelmed by her sudden liberation. The cruelty his fellow man had done to her sickened him, and for a brief moment a flash of anger clouded his mind.

Her sobs brought him back, and seeing the scarcely clothed woman sat opposite him, he wanted nothing more than to comfort her. Slowly, he got to his feet. He raised his hands and kept his palms facing her just in case she mistook his movements as being threatening. He lowered himself hesitantly on the seat next to her. He didn't even know if she had noticed him, her weeping so intense she could scarcely see for the tears. He reached out, gently placing his hand atop hers. She flinched, her tail raised slightly, her body rigid as she her cries were cut short. He kept his hand there, his eyes closed firmly, certain he was about to be bludgeoned to death. Instead, he was surprised to find her slowly turn her hand, gripping his tenderly. Her wails and whimpers continued as tears streamed down her face, albeit quieter than before, as she held his hand. After a few moments she had leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder, her horns next to his head. Her cries had begun to die down, recovering from the emotional exhaustion, as she sniffled her way back to composure once more.

"_Thank you."_ She whispered quietly, squeezing his hand slightly. In that moment Henry knew he'd made the right decision. He knew that he would do everything he could to try to get this woman home. Even if he didn't know where 'home' was for such a creature. He let her rest against him for a few more minutes, thankful to sit still himself as his ribs and back ached dully.

"_So, where uh… where is home for you, Azrielle?"_ The woodsman asked, prompting Azrielle to sit up straight, though she did not let go of his hand.

"_Vastreshi forest"_ She answered cheerfully, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes as she smiled slightly at the man beside her. Henry frowned, having never heard of such a place. _A forest? I thought they lived in deserts?_

"_Well I don't know where that is really, do you know how to…"_ His eyes brightened with realisation, remembering that there was the map under the seat opposite. "_You can point it out to me on the map, let me go grab it"_ He announced cheerfully, wincing slightly as he got to his feet. The Az'kel looked up at him curiously, her grasp on his hand lingering for a few moments, before letting go and fiddling her fingers together nervously in her lap. She smiled sweetly up at him, and though he fought the urge, he found his eyes wander down for a split second to her breasts. No longer covered by his coat, he could see they were bound tightly beneath mucky bandages. He coughed, trying to cover the blush returning to his cheeks, as he quickly opened up the opposite seat and retrieved the map.

Sitting back down, he studied the map, Azrielle looking curiously at the parchment with equal parts fascination and confusion. "_Map"_ She repeated quietly, having wondered what it was her captors had been referring to during her journey. Henry scanned the page, stabbing his finger excitedly just to the north east of Lampveller.

"_So this is where we are currently"_ Henry explained, struggling to spot any woodland to the south named anything remotely close to 'Vastreshi forest'. He glanced at Azrielle, who had her tongue between her lips in concentration as she studied the paper. He nudged Henry's hand out of the way, which was covering the very bottom of the map. She pointed delicately to a large patch of sand and nothingness, just west of a small clump of three mountains labelled 'Crimson peaks'.

"_That's where you're from? You're sure?"_ Henry asked hesitantly, noting no trees whatsoever for hundreds of miles around the mountains. Azrielle nodded confidently, tapping her finger against the map once more.

"_Home is there, yes."_ She reiterated, looking affirmatively at Henry. Henry's eyes moved up the map, his heart sinking at the distance between their current location and the scorching sands hundreds of miles south. If she was right about that being her home, it would take them months to get there travelling in this. His heart sank further as he looked at the exotic smiling beauty. She had been kept like an animal in that cage for **months**.

"_...Ok. It will take us a long time to get there, but I'll get you there."_ Henry concluded, his heart missing a beat as he realised the journey there and back would take him almost an entire year to complete. _Am I really doing this? _Doubt beset him. He had no family here anymore, sure. But that didn't mean he could just happily uproot and take to the road for months upon months. Surely there was someone he could send her to, someone who could help. He frowned, the wind whistling faintly through the trees outside. It was winter now, it would be too cold for her outside anywhere north of the desert. She wouldn't be able to go out and get firewood, drive the carriage, hunt for food. And besides that, the people of the north have never seen an Az'kel before, he didn't doubt they might kill her for being a demon of some kind. He frowned, rubbing the wound on his arm lightly. There was someone who could help. It was him.

Azrielle was visibly excited, her tail shuddering and shimmering, her armoured scales producing a loud pleasant rattling sound. Henry couldn't help but laugh slightly, caught off guard by such a peculiar reaction. He guessed it was a sign of happiness, due to the large grin upon her pretty face. Her once teary eyes seemed to brighten instantly at the promise of helping her to return home. She grabbed his arm, causing him to flinch.

"_We shall travel together?"_ She asked eagerly, studying his bruised albeit cheerful face. He nodded, looking down at her, still barely able to open his swollen eye. She seemed to be puzzling over something, her eyes not subtle at all in moving across his body. He felt incredibly self conscious. As a lumberjack, he was fairly muscular as one had to be to haul logs around all day. However he wasn't exactly the most handsome man on the planet, and he doubted the injury to his face helped matters. Besides trade and small talk, Henry had little experience with women. Whether that was due to his slightly isolationist lifestyle, his height being a little under average, or there just being better looking lads in the town, women had never shown much interest in him.

"_Uh, yeah, I'll take you there, like I said."_ He replied shyly, a little confused by her sudden intenseness. He winced as she moved, blushing heavily as she straddled him, facing towards him. His eyes widened, his cheeks flushed crimson as her eyes were locked firmly against his. She batted her eyelashes rapidly, her tail rattling slightly as it curled its way behind him, encircling them both.

"_You are a fearsome warrior. You kill three vicious men to free this Azrielle. Save her from the bitter air. If we are to travel, Azrielle wants to travel as __**oovatyal**__." _The curious woman spoke, a disarming sultry lilt to her voice, her tail shimmering and rattling as she awaited his response. Henry felt his cheeks burning hot, excitement igniting beneath the fabric of his trousers, even if he didn't know what she was suggesting her intensity was enough to arouse him.

"_I d-don't know what that means, sorry"_ He admitted, flustered and stumbling over his words, a little intimidated by her powerful tail surrounding them both. She laughed slightly, a delightful joyous sound that was almost melodic, before looking to the side and narrowing her eyes in thought. She was seemingly lost deep in thought for a moment or so, before a smirk returned to her face as she batted her lashes at him once more.

"_Partners"_ She cooed, her eyes moving down his broad chest, back up to his rugged albeit bloodied face. Henry felt his cheeks burning fiercely. _Surely she didn't mean, like, lovers? She'd only just met him after all. She must meen as companions or something similar. Yeah, that must be it._ He thought, struggling to hold her gaze.

"_Sure, we can be oovat… uh… oovatyerl? Yal? Partners, we can be partners._" He remarked awkwardly, her tail a cacophony of shimmering black scales as the rhythmic rattling surrounded them. Now it was her turn to blush, an excited hungry look upon her face. Henry flinched, a sudden sharp stabbing pain at the base of his neck as she leaned down and sank her teeth into his flesh.

"_Hey what the hell are… y-you…"_ Henry began angrily, trailing off as a curious warm feeling of desire washed over his body. She lifted her head, red bruised teeth marks where she had bitten him, a tiny trickle of blood moving down his chest. He felt hot, his heart thumped in his chest, the excitement in his pants amplified as he felt his member twitch to life, pressing against the fabric. She felt his bulge beneath her, an excited grin as she moved her hips back and forth, rubbing herself against him.

"_Oovatyal must bond first"_ The Az'kel explained in a husky sultry tone, climbing off of Henry as she stood before him. Henry nodded slightly, his mouth hanging open with desire, finding himself to be drooling ever so slightly. The bite wound on his neck seemed to pulse excitement across his body, causing every part of him to flood with sensitivity and longing for physical contact. He watched in awe as the sun kissed beauty removed his trousers, her eyes wide with anticipation as his thick member sprung forth. His cock twitched, glistening with precum already, a curious almost unnatural warm sensation throughout it. He turned his attention to the petite beauty before him, sliding her shorts wordlessly down her wide hips past her thighs down to the ground below. She was completely hairless, her soft pink lips glistening with lust as she quickly straddled him once again.

She locked her eyes against his as she rocked her hips back and forth, giggling slightly at his intoxicated look, grinding his member between them both. Wordlessly, she raised herself forward, perching his tip between her lips. She hooked her arms around his neck, lowering herself slowly, his cock slipping slowly into her tight pussy. She gasped, in part from his size in comparison to her small frame, and in part by hot his cock felt within her. She lowered herself fully, moaning in satisfaction as she felt herself filled completely by her new partner. Henry placed his hands either side of her waist, straining slightly to feel more of his cock inside of her, his mind somewhat foggy as if this were some wonderful dream.

Slowly, she began to gently rock her hips back and forth, rising and falling an inch or so as she worked herself into a rhythm. Gaining confidence, she began to bounce herself atop his lap, moaning pleasantly as she felt his girthy shaft pushing in and out of her. Henry tightened his grip, encouraging her to bounce faster, his hips rising and falling in time with her movements. This was his first time, wasn't it? Why was it so hard for him to think? Regardless, the movements came naturally to him, her wet tight walls providing immense pleasure to his sensitive cock. She bounced harder and faster still, staring hungrily into his eyes, her passionate lustful moans of pleasure like music to his ears.

Her soft thighs squeezed him from either side, her face flushed red as her impassioned cries grew louder, her tail encircling them tighter. Her bouncing now was aggressive, a wet lewd noise sounding out as she fucked him as hard as she could manage. Her walls tightened abruptly and she threw her head back in pleasure, her tail rattling and shaking furiously as she came. Henry was close, and as she climaxed her walls pulsed and tightened, starting at the base of his cock then moving in a wave-like motion up to her cervix. These ripple like movements were intense and repeated, literally milking his cock to orgasm as he shot rope after rope of thick cream inside of her. The two panted in each other's arms, Azrielle's tail uncoiling and falling limply to the floor behind her. After a few moments, Henry felt his mind begin to clear as the Az'kel dismounted from him, thick white cum leaking down her thighs as she sat beside him, leaning against him in exhaustion.

Henry struggled to catch his breath, his ribs and back immediately becoming sore once again, looking to the woman with surprise and confusion. _Well, at least I know what she meant by partners now._ He mused, feeling strangely proud of himself. Something was bothering him though, and he opened his mouth to speak.

"_Why did you bite me?"_ He asked, prodding the red tooth marks curiously with his fingertips. Azrielle sat up, looking at him with confusion.

"_For your… uh…"_ She began, pointing at his still hard cock which twitched with sensitivity as her finger collided with it. Henry didn't understand what she meant.

"_**Serus**__? From my teeth? How else to make you big?"_ She explained, touching her fangs with her teeth. Henry struggled to put one and one together, realising that she woman must have venom of a sort in her teeth, designed to get men hard. But why have such a thing? Unless of course, the male Az'kel could not get hard without the use of such venom? He frowned slightly at the realisation and shook his head. _Poor bastards._ The woman groaned in discomfort, her stomach growling audibly as her tail curled about her feet once more.

"_Oh of course, you must be hungry. Hey why don't I go get some more wood for the fire, and we can cook up these fish I caught?"_ Henry inquired, the woman affectionately nuzzling herself against his shoulder and nodding in agreement at the idea. Henry stood up, sheepishly doing his trousers back up as he picked his coat from the seat and put it on.

"_You going to be Ok for a bit while I get more wood? I won't go far, so if you need me you can shout."_ Henry explained, the woman's eyes grew wide with fear at the realisation he needed to leave.

"_You will not leave Azrielle, yes? We are Oovatyal now, yes?"_ She inquired timidly, feeling herself begin to panic at the prospect of abandonment. Henry leaned down, kissing her forehead tenderly which made the woman blush.

"_We are Oovatyal. I won't be long, I promise"_ He reassured, thankful to see a smile return to her lips.

Henry stepped out into the cold evening air, the blizzard coming down thick now and immediately a gust of frigid air blasted his face. He retrieved his axe from the back of the cart, and approached the tree he had begun to cut down what felt like years ago now. He raised his axe, frowning into the darkness. What was he supposed to do next? They couldn't stay here longer than tonight, not if he wanted to keep her safe.

If you would like to take part in this interactive story, consider donating as little as $2 at /SmutKnight to vote on where the pair should travel to next! Plus, get access to additional content for the story such as Azrielle's diary, and Field Notes to tell you more about the lore of this world!

I thoroughly hope you've enjoyed this story so far, as it will be updated bimonthly with new chapters, diary entries and field notes!

3 SmutKnight


	2. Chapter 2

Henry swung at the tree rhythmically with the heavy two handed axe. As the trunk was steadily stripped away from beneath it, so too were the options in his mind of what to do with the poor girl. He could start south now, strike while the iron was hot, after all the further south they went the more mild and merciful the winter would be for her. He frowned. He had no idea what supplies they had, or if he would even be able to get enough firewood on their journey to keep the fire alive. No, that would never do, he needed time to prepare. Perhaps he should head to his cabin in Lampveller? After all he had a fair few coins saved up for a new axehead and a warmer coat, not to mention a new smokehouse. That money could certainly be used to help get her south, he'd perhaps even be able to get her some new clothes from the tailor while he was there. He grimaced, remembering that Lampveller was where the person who intended to buy her was, and that he could be out looking for his late delivery. What would Azrielle think of him if he were to endanger her like that? Would she believe he was intending to sell her off for himself and steal the Slaver's profits instead? Too risky, much too risky. I'll take her up to the ruins for tonight, stay there until the storm passes in the morning. At the very least she'll be safe and I'll have the opportunity to stock up on firewood.

The tree cracked and splintered as it fell to the side, landing heavily in the snow. Henry took a few deep breaths, recovering from the effort, still feeling the impact of steel against wood in his cold hands. His forearm stung with renewed pain. He'd need to bandage it when he got back inside, assuming he could find some medical supplies lying around in the carriage. He affixed the axe to his side through a loop on his belt, leaning down painfully in the snow and gripping the felled tree as he dragged it out onto the road. With every footstep his back seemed to ache and complain more than the last, he had no doubt the lantern had left some nasty bruising. He let go of the tree, letting it slump quietly against the cobbled path, straightening and stretching his back with a pained grunt. He scowled at the tree, realising it still needed delimbing and hacking up into manageable sized logs. He frowned slightly, exhaustion weighing heavily on his body. He looked at the carriage door with a slight smile. I'll go see how she's getting on before I get started.

Henry opened the door, a chilly gust of wind threatening to slam the door shut before he could make his way inside, sending a flurry of snowflakes into the toasty interior. Azrielle was sat cross legged in front of the fire, with her head leaned forward and her horns held up to the glass. As the door opened she sat bolt upright, her tail tensing and lifting with her threatening arrowhead shaped tip pointed squarely at Henry. Upon realising it was him, she lowered her tail at once and smiled sweetly up at him, shivering slightly from the brief brisk wind. The woodcutter beamed back at her, getting down on one knee beside her and removing his gloves, holding his numbed hands up to the fire.

"Wood hunting was hard?" Azrielle inquired, prodding at his still empty knapsack with the tip of her tail, a small frown appearing on her lips. Henry raised an eyebrow at her in confusion, before noticing her tail probing at the bag upon his back.

"Oh! No I'm just warming my hands up a bit before I start chopping up the tree outside. Don't you worry" He reassured, a pleased rattling reverberating around the cabin interior as her tail shimmered and shook. Henry grinned from ear to ear, caught off guard once more by the strange reaction.

"Do you do that deliberately?" He asked, turning his attention to the dainty woman beside him. The Az'kel looked at him with confusion for a moment, before realising he was referring to her tail. She curled the tail close, holding it against her chest in both arms with the tip hanging limply beside her head. She seemed rather bashful as she spoke.

"No, Az'kel tail rattles when happy, uh…" She paused, pondering a good way of explaining the reaction to her human companion. "Is like… how you smile when happy. You do not think it, yet it happens anyway. Same for tail, that is how tail smiles." Azrielle explained as best she could, rosy embarrassment adorning her sun-kissed cheeks, never having had to explain such a thing before and subsequently feeling incredibly self conscious. She expected Henry to laugh at her, having got her to make a fool of herself by explaining such innate knowledge among Az'kel, but he smiled as sweetly as ever and nodded in understanding.

"That's really interesting, I didn't know that" He marvelled, finding it unsurprising given how mysterious her race was to him. Hells, he'd barely even believed they existed before today; some made up myth to stop northern kids straying too far south. Her tail shimmered and rattled out once more, the bashful woman feeling validated by his serious response. She looked the pale man up and down, a question of her own springing to mind.

"You have Ignal-blood?" She inquired, delicately reaching out and taking his hand in hers. She held his hand out flat, touching his palm softly with her fingertips. Henry looked from her hands to her face, trying to ascertain what she meant. Azrielle felt silly as she tried to remember the human word for it. She nodded towards the fire.

"Ignal, in here?" She reiterated, tracing her finger along his palm and moving down his hand, tapping lightly against his wrist and the blue criss-crossing veins that resided beneath.

"Fire? In my blood? No I can't say that there is" The man chuckled, wondering if this was some Az'kel proverb he was not yet familiar with. Azrielle placed her palm against his, and with a dissatisfied pout she moved her hand away. Without warning, she moved her hand below the bottom of his coat, underneath the fabric of his shirt and held her hand flat against his chest. He flinched, unsure of what the strange woman was doing.

"But you are so warm, even though there is bitter air outside. How is this?" She continued, her eyes brightening as she enjoyed her saviour's body heat against her hand. Henry understood what she meant, feeling rather sheepish with her hand beneath his shirt. In truth he didn't have an answer for her. After all, he still got cold just like anyone else were he to stay outside for too long, even with his thick fur lined jacket. But she was right; in comparison to how quickly she'd succumbed to the cold his blood must run hotter than hers.

"I really don't know, maybe your blood is just colder than mine? Or perhaps living this far north I've grown accustomed to the cold?" He pondered. Since she came from a desert, perhaps she just wasn't used to the cold, after all from what he'd heard from travellers it was always near-roasting there, even in the nighttime. Dissatisfied with his answer, her hand moved down from his chest to his stomach, which Henry sucked in almost instantly in response. She probed and prodded his belly all over in a focused almost methodical way. Henry tried to stifle his laughter, her slender fingers against his sensitive stomach making him incredibly ticklish. Deciding enough was enough he guided her hand down and out from his top, wiping a tear of scarcely contained laughter from his eye. Azrielle smirked at him, her tail rattling slightly at having elicited such a response.

"You do not eat hot ash then?" Azrielle teased, having suspected that such a rumour often spread among Az'kel children was nothing more than speculation and nonsense. And after not feeling any particularly hot spots on his abdomen she was satisfied that this was not the case. Henry couldn't help but laugh at such a ridiculous notion, the exotic woman joining him with her own pleasant almost musical laughter.

"Not if I can help it!" Henry teased back, blushing from laughing so hard. Sensing a lull in the conversation he went to tend to the flame, planning to open the stove to adjust the half-burnt logs, but winced as he moved his injured arm. Azrielle's eyes widened with fresh concern for his injuries.

"Can Azrielle see?" She asked softly, tenderly rolling back his snow-covered sleeve. She looked at his forearm, studying the oozing gash where the bolt had sliced it open. Although she was focused on making sure her Oovatyal was safe and looked after, she couldn't help but feel a slight excitement smoldering between her thighs at the sight of the wounds he had sustained fighting for her. She touched her fingers delicately at the red slightly swollen flesh, causing Henry to recoil. Her eyes were narrowed in concentration, looping the end of her tail around his arm gracefully, holding his arm firmly in place. She stood up, lifting the seat-cover beside them to look at the storage beneath. She shifted the blankets and spare clothes to the side, eyeing the packaged dried meats hungrily for a moment, before reaching down and grabbing one of the curious vegetables.

Henry watched her with nervous curiosity, uneasy at the strength of her tail as it held his arm in place. He tried to move his arm a little bit, but found that there was not even a hint of resistance he could muster against her powerful appendage. He knew she intended to help him, but the realisation of how scarily strong this woman's tail was, and how easily she could snap his arm like a twig, beset his mind with doubt. But as she turned back around, a look of gentle consideration in her empathetic dark green eyes, any doubt he had of her good intentions melted away. She used her tail to hold him still as she knelt down beside him, the curious bulb-like root in her hands. To Henry it looked almost like an onion that had been left in the sun too long, sporting a dark brown hue that reminded him of tree bark. The exterior was tough too he soon realised, resembling a nut, as Azrielle hit it against the end of her tail to crack it open.

Much to his surprise, the inside of the root-like bulb was pale green and translucent, seemingly with the consistency of watered down porridge. Her tail pulled his arm closer, scooping some of the slimy jelly-like goop up into her hand and spreading it across the cut on his arm. At once the hot irritated flesh around the wound cooled down, soothed by the pleasantly cool gel. He reached over to touch it between his fingers, marvelling at it's odd consistency. Azrielle urged him to shuffle forward towards the fireplace, guiding his arm next to it with her tail.

"What is it?" He asked in fascination, never having seen such a thing before. The Az'kel smiled sweetly, getting some on her fingers and beginning to delicately dab the cooling gel onto the small cuts covering the right side of his face. He closed his eye shut and tried hard not to wince as she applied the jelly.

"Aloettá, is Az'kel plant. Like uh… medee… medeeshen?''Azrielle explained, unsure of the human word.

"Medicine?" Henry offered, prompting an affirmative nod from his partner.

"Yes, is medicine. Help stop cuts going bad." She continued, relieved that the Slavers had also taken her belongings when they had captured her. She frowned, her mind momentarily occupied with the misery and trauma of the experience, feeling fear begin to creep into every inch of her body. Henry prodded at the now solidifying mass of goo upon his arm, having changed to a dark opaque green colour almost like a cucumber, snapping Azrielle back to the present. She slapped at his hand playfully with a grin on her lips.

"Do not touch! You are like fidgety child, no touching till it sets!" She scolded jokingly before turning her attention back to his arm. She waited until the very edges of the gel-like covering were the same dark green, and finally released her tail's grip. She moved past Henry to the shelf above where she had been sitting previously, and gasped in delight as she found a small linen sack full of cloth bandages of varying length. Meanwhile, Henry was busy prodding and picking at the curious green mass now stuck to his arm. She turned back round, tutting at him as she got back down onto her knees, slowly coiling the bandage around his arm. Once the wound was wrapped enough for her satisfaction, she gently rolled his sleeve back in place.

Henry moved his arm slowly, marvelling at how the goopy innards of the bulb had now taken a wax-like consistency, and how the pain in his arm had been considerably numbed. He opened his right eye slowly, noting that the lacerations from his chin to his brow all stung noticeably less with the movement.

"Wow… that's much better. Thank you, Azrielle." Henry praised, flexing his arm and wiggling his fingers as he adjusted to the curious lump now bandaged to him. The tanned woman nodded in agreement, knowing she had done a good job tending to him, a sense of pride brewing in her chest.

"Azrielle takes care of her brave Oovatyal, yes" She announced cheerfully, her tail shaking and rattling against the wooden floor. Her heart skipped a beat as the word left her lips, overjoyed at being able to give something back to her liberator. Henry got to his feet, moving his jaw around as the numbness that had soothed the pain of his arm began to numb where she had applied the aloettá to his face. Evidently, the curious plant acted as a kind of painkiller. The Az'kel got to her feet too, using her great tail to spring her off the ground without the use of her hands. Her hands instead made their way to either side of his face, still causing Henry to wince out of reaction, despite the cuts being numbed. Azrielle stood on her tiptoes, bouncing slightly as she struggled to reach his forehead, with Henry eventually crouching slightly to let her do so. She kept his face in one hand, and with the other she moved his messy hair that stuck out from under his hat to the side, pressing her lips gently against his forehead.

Both Azrielle and Henry felt themselves blush at the touching romantic gesture, though Azrielle was just desperately hoping such a gesture was acceptable for her to do. After all she was only doing it because Henry had done so to her, and it had made her heart flutter in her chest, so she wanted to return the favour. Thankfully it had had the desired effect on the lumberjack, who felt his heart melt ever so slightly. He raised his hand, cupping her cheek, which Azrielle nuzzled her face against.

He withdrew his hand abruptly, causing the Az'kel's eyes to search his face, concerned that she had done something wrong. Henry bit his lip, worried that he might be taking advantage of her situation. After all she barely knew who he was, and he scarcely knew who she was. Granted they'd had sex but he hadn't… he hadn't had the most say in the matter, even though he had certainly enjoyed it. Upon seeing Azrielle's worried frown, he realised that his priority of keeping her safe came first, and the fire needed replenishing soon.

"Alright, I'm going to head out again and delimb that tree and chop it up into logs for the fire. After I've done that we can cook up these fish to eat, sound good?" He inquired, the Az'kel's tail shimmering accompanied by an enthusiastic nod of agreement from the woman at the prospect of a decent meal. He paused, contemplating the wording of his next sentence.

"And then I'll take us north towards the old ruins, I think you'll be safest there while we wait out the snowstorm. Besides, I'll have plenty of time to stock up on-" He was interrupted, a look of despair and desperation creeping onto her face.

"What? Azrielle needs to go south, needs to go home. Henry promised this Azrielle!" She exclaimed, her eyes watering in confusion and desperation. He couldn't stand the sight of her upset, and reached a hand out to her gingerly. She recoiled, stepping back towards the stove. The woodsman's heart sank. He clenched his fingers away from her, lowering his arm slowly, unsure of how to explain himself better. Her eyes shut tight in frustration, the prospect of spending just another night moving further away from home was almost too much for her to bear. Her tail coiled around her feet protectively, her lip quivering as she searched for the right words to try and convince him he was wrong.

Henry reached out again, feeling protective of the vulnerable woman, wanting to comfort her.

She gasped as his hand met her shoulder, her tail shooting up in reaction with the obsidian arrow shaped tip pointing squarely against his chest. The intimidating tail dropped to the floor however as she was pulled gently into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her tenderly, holding her petite frame against himself.

"I know how badly you want to go home. I will get you there, Azrielle. But I worry that someone might come try and find you and… I don't know that I can keep you safe if that happens. I promise it's only a little way up the road, and I promise it will only be for tonight. By midday tomorrow most of the snow will have melted and we'll be able to head south that much faster. I know it's hard and I know you've been through a lot, but I'm trying to do what's best for you." He explained, feeling her sob gently against his chest. What more could he say? He knew this was the best decision for her but she- He stopped himself mid thought. He frowned to himself. No, people had been making decisions for her for months. She had been robbed of her free will and even now she must feel completely powerless. Despite being out of the cage, she still did not have her freedom. He had been insensitive. The least he could do for her now is respect her free will.

"We'll go wherever you want, Ok Azrielle? If you think it's best to go south, you just need to say the word and we'll head south. It's your decision." He reassured softly, his arms awkwardly still against her back as he awaited her response. Her sniffles began to subside as her crying slowly came to a stop. She leaned backwards so she could face him, a thankful smile on her lips despite the tear tracks down her cheeks. She leaned back against him, nuzzling her head against his shoulder.

"You are good man. Good Oovatyal. Azrielle could not want a better partner." She replied quietly, her voice shaky and still recovering from her tears. Henry squeezed her slightly, wanting her to know that she was safe, desperately wishing he could undo the damage these men had done to her.

"Henry knows the north better. You saved this Azrielle, Azrielle trusts that you will keep her safe." She replied after a few minutes of contemplation, enjoying the warmth and security of the taller man's embrace. Henry closed his eyes and nodded, thankful that she had taken his advice. She lingered in his arms, before a crack and pop from the fire behind her reminded her that he needed to fetch more wood. She stepped back reluctantly, feeling rather bashful about how upset she'd gotten. Henry looked at her with understanding, his kind eyes moving from her, to the fireplace, then to the door.

"I will keep you safe, I promise. Why don't you get comfortable and rest a bit, I'll be just outside sorting this tree." He reassured, watching as she sat down on the seat, hugging her tail in her arms as she got comfortable, a weak smile returning to her lips.

Henry stepped outside the carriage, making sure to only open the door as little as possible to let as little of the frigid blizzard winds inside as he could. Once his feet hit the steadily deepening snow of the cobbled road, he looked up and down the solitary lane once more just to ensure they were truly alone. He listened, hearing nothing but the whistling wind and the steady patter and chuffing of the horses just beyond the treeline. He flexed his arm once more, impressed by how much better it felt, but groaned in pain as soon as he reached down to take his axe from his belt. His arm might be better, sure. But his back and ribs were as sore as ever. Maybe he should have gotten the Az'kel to rub some on his bruises too. He shook his head, telling himself that he'd ask once he had a knapsack full of logs to bring her.

Despite the icy gusts of wind that numbed his extremities and the dusting of snow that steadily began to weigh down his clothing, the process of delimbing the tree was quick and painless. After all, he'd spent days upon days ever since his youth practicing the best and safest ways to go logging. Just as he'd thrown the last of the limbs to the side, placing his axe on his belt and taking out the small hand saw that was attached on the opposite side, the door of the carriage crept slowly open beside him. Henry whipped around, brandishing the tiny saw blade, his heart pounding in his chest at the prospect of someone sneaking past him and getting to Azrielle. His fearful look turned to bewilderment as he watched the Az'kel step hesitantly out into the blizzard, shutting the door carefully behind her. She sat herself down on the steps of the carriage, adorned in a cloth blanket with a thick looking fur pelt draped around her shoulders. She tucked her arms up against her chest as she got comfortable, her great tail coiling itself around her torso, holding the blanket and fur firmly against her body.

"Hey I'm… I'm almost done here. Sorry, was I taking a while? I didn't mean to worry you" Henry questioned, having to raise his voice to be heard above the howling wind. The Az'kel smiled, shivering ever so slightly despite the warm furs as the cold air stung her face.

"Azrielle just wanted to check in on you." She explained, squeezing herself slightly with her tail, fighting to keep the cold off of her body. In truth, however, she had grown lonely. She had travelled for the better part of a year in that dreadful cage, and all the while she had never said a word to the men who had imprisoned her. The loneliness had been brutal, but she had used it to her advantage, a badge of resilience showing that she had not yet been broken. But in the few minutes she'd spent talking with Henry, her desire for the comforts of social interaction had been rekindled within her once more, making the quiet interior of the carriage seem quite inhospitable. Henry beamed at her, lowering the saw as he got down onto his knees ready to start cutting the trunk up.

"I'm fine Azrielle, you can go back inside if you want" Henry remarked, worried for her safety out here in the cold. The Az'kel shook her head, insistent on staying out here with Henry.

"Azrielle will stay until she's too cold" She reassured, thankful for the thick blankets that kept the worst of the wind off of her.

As Henry tended to the tree, accumulating a sizable pile of logs, the pair chatted back and forth. Given the time of evening, the topic of conversation didn't stray far from food. Henry asked her about what she liked to eat, but meat seemed to be all the woman had an interest in. Given her predatory array of sharp teeth, this didn't surprise the woodsman in the slightest. Azrielle informed him that in Vastreshi forest, fish was considered a delicacy. It was something she'd only had once; when she had celebrated her transition into adulthood. He inquired as to what she would eat in the forest normally, but there seemed to be a language barrier that proved too tough to traverse just yet. She said her people would dig it up something from the ground, whatever it was, and they would eat that. But despite Henry's insistence that it must be a vegetable or plant of some kind, Azrielle was having none of it and insisted it was similar to fish or venison.

Normally Henry would split the logs in twain against a tree stump to make them easier to manage and quicker for the flame to take to. But he was hurting badly from the bruising along his back and didn't want to stray too far from the curious woman and end up worrying her, or worse yet, not being around if something bad were to happen. So instead he loaded the logs into his knapsack, struggling to lift the thing from the ground as his back spasmed and complained. Azrielle saw this and stood up, stretching out her tail and hooking the tip through the handle, effortlessly lifting the backpack up towards the cart. Henry was once again reminded of her strength and her compassion, sheepishly thanking her as they both stepped eagerly into the carriage shutting the door behind them.

Azrielle placed the bag by the fireplace, which Henry quickly tended to, stacking a few into the sizable metallic stove before shutting the door once more. He watched thankfully as the flame took to the new fuel, heat radiating out into the interior leaving the room rather toasty. He turned to ask if Azrielle was ready for dinner, only to catch the girl sat on the cushioned seat nibbling at some dried meat she'd taken from the underseat storage. He couldn't help but grin at the pure contentment on her face as she savoured the tough stick of meat. He took a moment to rest his legs, sitting beside her as he began removing his coat, gloves and hat. He looked for somewhere to put them, noticing with a laugh that there were hooks on the wall either side of the doors, in complete disbelief at the luxury the men had been travelling in.

"This place is nicer than my cabin" Henry joked, unsure as to whether Azrielle had heard him or was too focused on her food. As he sat back down next to her, she looked as if she was contemplating whether or not to eat the rest of the dried meat, looking to Henry pensively. She grinned, stuffing the remaining food into her mouth and chewing it up as she moved to straddle him once more. He flinched, a mixture of excitement and embarrassment in his stomach as his cheeks went red.

"Azrielle wants to share with her Oovatyal" The woman cooed, a soft nurturing tone of voice that made Henry's spine tingle, despite her mouth being full.

"Uh… Ok? I mean I was about to cook us up some fish anyway but…" Henry replied somewhat fearfully, keenly aware that the Az'kel had already finished her jerky. Sure enough, his fears came to light as the woman opened her mouth, still full of chewed meat, and moved it close to his.

"Nope!" Henry shouted, turning his head away from hers and laughing from the awkwardness. Azrielle seemed distressed and offended at him so harshly rejecting her advances, but after a little explanation that sharing food like that was in fact not normal for a human, she couldn't help but feel sheepish. For the desert dweller, having only had the barest of interactions with humans through the cruel men she'd been travelling with, it was still difficult to know which customs were unique to the Az'kel and which were common among the two races. Henry gathered that what she had tried to initiate was intimate, something that an Az'kel woman would do for her partner. He wondered if this action was their version of kissing, as he got up to start cooking the fish.

After rummaging under the seat they had been sat on, he was pleased to find quite a lot of things stored beneath, not least of which was a large frying pan. He got to work filleting and cooking the fish atop the great cast-iron fireplace. Azrielle watched in amusement, practically drooling as she questioned Henry about everything he was doing. As it turned out, Azrielle had seldom little cooking experience and neither did her friends or family. Whatever it was that they dug up from the desert sands to eat, which she still insisted was just 'meat', did not require any preparation. Henry asked about the fish the distant tribes brought her, and she clarified that they were dried like the preserved meat she had been munching on. He couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by her strange culture, wondering if she would even enjoy his humble seared fish fillets.

After a few minutes cooking in their own oil, they seemed to the woodsman to be about done. He'd have seasoned them with salt and garlic, but with the thought of travellers spotting them on the road in the back of his mind, he decided not to rummage and try to find any seasoning tucked away in the large carriage. Instead, he asked Azrielle to hunt for something to eat off of while he finished up the cook. He was happy to see that she was able to find a small stack of plates bundled in some protective cloth under the seat to his right. He retrieved one of the full waterskins and placed it between the two of them as they sat down on the bench-like seat, both with a plate stacked high with fish on their laps. The poor woman seemed to be on the verge of tears again, quite possibly overwhelmed at the sight of so much food, and Henry noticed her tail coil gently around his legs as she began to tuck in.

The woodsman of course hadn't handed her any cutlery yet, having had trouble asking her to search for some as she didn't seem to understand the word, but she was content to eat with her hands nonetheless. He watched in awe as the dainty woman demolished the slabs of meat, making soft noises of enjoyment and satisfaction as she happily tore through the meal he'd prepared with her fang-like teeth. She blushed as she noticed him watching her out of the corner of her eye, so not wanting to be rude, Henry began eating as well. To him the fish was rather bland, and eating it by itself with no accompanying vegetables seemed a tad barbaric. But from the look in her eyes and the way her tail shook and rattled out joyously with every mouthful, he could tell she was enjoying pair finished up their meals, the Az'kel having eaten almost twice the amount Henry had.

She flopped to her side, leaning fully against Henry as he swallowed the last few mouthfuls of today's catch. She nuzzled and rubbed her head against his shoulder, gently grabbing his arm and lifting it over her, so that he was holding her. Henry sat shyly for a few minutes as the exotic woman affectionately showed her appreciation of him. He had never been romantically involved with anyone before, and as such this kind of tender affection was completely new to him. He placed his hand on her waist and kept it there, unsure of how to reciprocate the gentle comfort she provided. For her however, this wasn't nearly enough. After a few moments she sat bolt upright, her eyes staring longingly into his as she bit her lip.

"Could you… do the thing with the…" She stumbled, an unsure tone of voice as her cheeks grew rosy. She pointed gingerly to her forehead, unable to hold his gaze as she lowered her head slightly. His heart was warmed by her unceasing adorableness, and he gladly gave her what she wanted. He took her face delicately in his hands and pressed his lips to her forehead. At once her tail sounded out, a soft squeak of enjoyment escaping her lips. As soon as he pulled away from her, she descended upon him. She was on her knees next to him, her hands holding his face eagerly as she kissed his forehead repeatedly. He couldn't help but laugh, prompting a giggle from the affectionate woman between her kisses, running her hands through his coarse brunette hair. Eventually her onslaught of passion came to an end, sitting back down and practically glowing with enjoyment, her heart fluttering almost as much as her eyelashes.

As much as he wanted to remain here next to her, he knew it was time to get them off the road. He stood up, putting on his winter gear and ensuring the fire was properly stoked. He made sure she knew he would just be outside sat in the driver's seat, and that it wouldn't be more than an hour before they'd get to the ruins. She kissed his forehead one last time with a loving smile, before standing back to let him out from the carriage without getting blasted by a gust of cold air.

Despite the bleak weather outside, and the complete lack of sunlight, Henry couldn't help but whistle merrily to himself. His spirits had been lifted completely from having a warm meal inside him, and thanks to the gentle compassion the woman had showed him, clearly grateful for everything he'd done. Despite the sun having set, the steadily deepening snow that clung to the ground and the trees gave everything a pleasant pale glow. He rounded the front of the carriage and retrieved the pair of horses from the treeline, tempting them back with a new apple each. He found no trouble in securing them to the reigns once more, pleasantly surprised by how obedient the gentle giants were. He scarcely had time to clamber up onto the seat at the front before they were moving, the great wooden wheels creaking to life as they tumbled over the cobble track through the snow.

Henry kept an ear out for anything and everything as they trundled further north, breathing a sigh of relief as the ruins came steadily into view at the very end of the track. As they moved, he heard Azrielle moving about behind him, the sound of the seats being opened and closed as she no doubt was rummaging through her former captor's belongings. He wondered what kind of supplies they had, not having taken a proper inventory just yet, but judging by the rattling of the Az'kel's tail, she had found something to her liking.

As he guided the horses off of the track and into one of the roofless buildings through a collapsed wall, he studied the ancient masonry around them. The stone blocks were worn and weathered, but sturdy enough that he need not worry about the wind crashing the walls down around them while they slept. He mused that at one time this building might have been a church or a town hall, but was now being used as an improvised stable. Henry got down out of the riders seat and trudged through the deep snow back onto the track. He was satisfied that the carriage was completely hidden, and he had no doubt that their tracks would be hidden by the downpour of snowflakes in no time at all. He looked out across the crumbling former town, scarcely more than a few hollow stone buildings now, trees springing forth between them as nature reclaimed the previously lived on land. He'd spent a lot of his youth here in the summer, exploring the crumbling abodes. Supposedly this had been where his ancestors had first called home hundreds of years ago, before finding the rigid cliff-like valley that his town of Lampveller now resided in. He shivered. It's no wonder they all moved, the small forest clearing here offered no protection from the icy winds.

He trudged back through the snow, climbing up onto the seat and finding a sack full of grain. He fed a few handfuls to the horses who neighed and chuffed in appreciation, before untying them from the reigns to allow them some comfort. Just as he began to pat one of them along its neck, he heard a loud thunk from inside the carriage, and quickly stepped inside to investigate. Azrielle shouted slightly in surprise as the door opened, before quickly breathing an apology, a crossbow held clumsily against her chest. Henry looked from her, to the crossbow, and putting two and two together, he turned to look above the door where there was a crossbow bolt embedded into the wood. He turned to her for an explanation, her sun-kissed cheeks darkening with embarrassment.

"Sorry, accident." She explained bashfully, handing Henry the crossbow. He took it, somewhat hesitantly, and inspected it. It seemed to be in good condition, showing minimal wear and tear. As much as he wanted to be annoyed at Azrielle for being so careless, he was much too relieved to have an actual weapon to defend her with should he run into any more slavers before getting her south. After all, those men had kept referencing a 'Clint' that he was almost certain must be their boss. Henry was about to tell Azrielle to be more careful next time, but as soon as he looked up at her again his jaw dropped to the floor.

There she was stood, no longer in her bandages and tattered shorts, but instead in an expensive looking black dress adorned with frilly white lace and a decorative trim. The bottom of the dress came halfway down her thighs, ruffled and wide which helped to compliment her hips, the rest of the dress hugging tight to her frame. The dress covered her bust without showing any cleavage, with thin black straps that draped over her shoulders. She was twiddling her fingers together sheepishly, unwilling to look him in the eye with the guilt of accidentally firing the crossbow.

"Where… where did that come from?" He inquired, unable to hide the smile he got from seeing the pretty woman in such decorative clothing. If he didn't know any better, it almost looked like a maid's outfit…

"Oh! Azrielle sorted through all the stuff and found it!" The Az'kel announced cheerfully, twirling slightly to show off to her handsome saviour. As she turned, he couldn't help but notice her tail lifting the hemline up revealing the black lace underwear that lay beneath. He averted his eyes, fighting back the excitement that threatened to build in his boxers as he cleared his throat.

"It looks really nice Azrielle, it really suits you!" He complimented off-handedly, the reason for the dress being here beginning to dawn on him. The Slavers had obviously intended to dress her in it before presenting her to whoever was planning on buying her. It fit so well it must have been tailor made, no doubt made from very expensive materials. He felt a little dread as he realised whoever it was who had organised capturing and selling the poor Az'kel must be extraordinarily wealthy, and with wealth came power. His attention was captured once again as Azrielle got to her knees, looking at the seat cushion. He turned to face her and saw that she'd arranged the contents of both the underseat storage chests along the top of the seat.

Henry got to his knees carefully, groaning slightly from his back which prompted Azrielle to nuzzle her head against his shoulder as the two took in their supplies. In one corner, wrapped up in some cloth, was a sizable portion of two dozen strips of dried meat. Next to it were two of the Aloettá bulbs she had used to help bandage his arm with, and beside them neatly folded were three thick blankets and the thick pelt she had been using to keep warm earlier. There was a quiver full of a dozen or so bolts, which Henry was extremely thankful to see, though he knew he'd need to take the time to learn how to use the crossbow as he'd never used one before. Below that, coiled up, was a whip. He looked at the leather lash and felt sick to his stomach, instinctively placing a protective arm around the Az'kel's shoulder. She leaned against him further, running her finger down the scar that ran vertically from the corner of her mouth down to the edge of her jaw as she frowned at the weapon.

"Could be useful, maybe?" Azrielle asked softly, clearly not enjoying the memories that came with the implement of pain, before turning to look at Henry. He looked at her with kind eyes, then looked to the whip as his expression turned to disgust. He stood up carefully, taking the whip in his hands which made Azrielle cower in confusion, before he opened the door and launched the device up out of the crumbling building and into the snow beyond. Azrielle's tail rattled in admiration and awe of the gesture, curling her armour plated tail around the man slightly as he knelt back down.

Next to where the whip once was, was a pile of folded clothes. He leafed through them, all of them dark trousers and white buttoned shirts. They were probably a little too big for Henry, but he could almost certainly get them taken in somewhere along the way, or at the very least sell them. There was a small wicker basket full of glass bottles containing spices and herbs, something he desperately wished they had found sooner. Azrielle looked at them as if they were magic, taking them and carefully sniffing each bottle of the curious seasonings. There was a pouch full of silver coins that he was thankful to see. Pouring the contents out and rifling through them, he realised with disappointment that there was scarcely enough money for a decent meal. Nevertheless, everything they had would help. There were three large waterskins, one of which he took and drank thankfully from, as well as the large sturdy flask full of whiskey he had used earlier. There was cutlery, a chisel, a spare set of keys like the one he'd left in the cage door, as well as a hunting knife in a neat leather sheaf, which Henry affixed to his belt. Beside that, a linen cloth pouch full of basic medical equipment: some bandages and a set of needle and thread for sutures.

Beyond some pots and pans, cleaning and writing equipment, a flint and steel, the only thing left was something packaged in fine silk in the far corner. Henry reached out to unravel the silk, but Azrielle seemed to flinch as he reached for it. He turned to her and her eyes were scrunched up tight, having placed the box of spices back on the seat, hugging his arm tightly. He kissed the top of her head reassuringly, minding her horns, as he unwrapped the silk. Three heavy arrow-shaped objects fell onto the seat, and he realised with a grimace that they were taken from Az'kel tails. He held one in his hand, looking at the obsidian-like bludgeon with morbid curiosity, running his finger along it's blunted edge. Azrielle whimpered slightly, turning further away from the tail ends, not able to stomach looking at them. He wrapped them up tightly in the silk, holding them in his hands.

"Do you… Do you want me to bury them?" He asked hesitantly, unsure of where they had come from and what best to do with them. She squeezed his arm tighter, shaking her head from side to side.

"Friends. They… they must come home too." She replied quietly, a sombre tone to her voice. He hugged the girl tight, holding the morbid trophies against his chest. He placed them gently into the underseat storage behind them, wanting to keep them somewhere safe but out of her sight. Before he'd met Azrielle, he'd have been overjoyed at the sight of them. He'd met plenty of merchants and bodyguards who wore one around their neck as a necklace, a trophy that demonstrated ruthless skill in combat, so he had no doubt that the three of them would have fetched a small fortune. Looking at Azrielle's tail though, and the strength it was capable of, he found it hard to believe that any of the supposed trophies he'd seen were anything more than crudely cut fakes made of volcanic glass. Thinking too much about it made him angry, the thought of his kind causing such violence against people like her, just for something to show off with. He squeezed her gently once more.

"I've put them away safe. Why don't you help me put the rest of this away?" He asked tenderly, wanting to take her mind off of it. She sniffled slightly, wiping her eyes with her hand as she nodded in agreement. The pair of them bundled all their newfound belongings away under the seat, leaving the opposite storage space empty, save for the stone-like remnants of her friends. Henry carefully stacked a few logs beside and optop of the silk cloth, concealing them from view. He then moved the rest of the wood into the chest, not before topping the fire up once more, and shutting the seat down. After a moment of thought, he took the crossbow out and sat fiddling with it, wrenching the bolt from the ceiling and eventually learning to latch and load the weapon. He looked for how to fire it, and Azrielle was able to point out the trigger, still feeling rather sheepish about discharging it accidentally. He sat it atop the stored wood, wanting to keep it within arms reach just in case.

The pair sat down, both exhausted albeit for different reasons. Henry struggled to find something to say, disliking the pervasive silence broken only by the gentle crackling of the fire. He wanted to find the right words to comfort her, to find the things to say to make her feel Ok. He flinched as the Az'kel lay herself down slowly, legs curled up and head resting gently on his lap. He looked down at her, a quiet sadness in her eyes as she gazed at the flickering flame. He realised that perhaps there were some problems that couldn't be made better through words alone, and that perhaps he had taken his peaceful albeit solitary life somewhat for granted. How had he ever questioned whether he could uproot just to get this woman home? After all, how could he enjoy having a home of his own while knowing she went without one? A silent panic gripped the woodsman as he realised just how close he'd been to walking away, how much he'd desired to not get involved, how easily he could have left her.

Azrielle yawned, her tail curling up in front of the fire, that glassy black tail-tip flickering shades of orange and red as the flames reflected off of it. Her eyes were closed now, her body relaxed against his, her breathing steady and slow. He hadn't left her. Not yet. Not ever. He reached down to her side, taking her hand gently in his, leaning himself back against the cushions as he got comfortable. Her gentle green eyes fluttered open as she squeezed his hand, her tail rattling drowsily.

"Thank you" She whispered, snuggling down against his lap, weaving her fingers between his. Her eyes drifted shut once more, passing peacefully into a much needed slumber. Henry smiled to himself. He had woken up today with a grumble, tired of trees, tired of fishing, tired of the cold. Truth be told he awoke most days like that, never contemplating change, merely accepting the ever more tiresome existence that was expected of him. He was the son of a woodcutter, his father had been the son of a woodcutter, he was always going to be a woodcutter. But in those tense moments, where his body had acted on pure empathy and emotion, nothing else mattered. In those moments the lumberjack had ceased to be, hacking and carving and stripping him of all heritage, of all the mundane comforts he took for granted. Battered and bruised and gasping for breath, the man that scrambled to his feet was no longer a woodcutter, he was a hero. He was her hero. He had expected the thought to embolden him, to banish the unease, but the more he thought about it the more terrifying the prospect was.

He awoke with a gasp, his back sore and his mind racing as he struggled to take in his surroundings. Hardwood interior, low roof, and why was he not lying in bed? Disorientated, he looked down at his lap, seeing nothing. Panic gripped his chest as he came to his senses, remembering where he was, and more importantly who wasn't there. He opened his mouth to shout, turning slightly as the curious Az'kel came into view. She was knelt by his side with her face close to his. He jumped, groaning in pain as his bruised back jerked with the effort. Azrielle stifled a giggle, before promptly straddling the sleepy man, her bare thighs either side of him. She took his sleepy and startled face in her hands, gentle soothing noises escaping her lips as her compassionate eyes gazed at his.

"Hey, is Ok, hush~" She reassured calmly, having been up for an hour or so before him. She had been quietly studying and admiring his face. She thought he was handsome, even with the rough curious stubble that adorned his jaw being something unknown to any Az'kel male. She had been gently stroking the back of her hand against it before he had woken up, so felt in part responsible for his abrupt awakening. What had really captured her attention however, was the slowly healing lacerations across his face and the bruised and blackened eye that even now struggled to open. These were injuries he'd received fighting for her, something which was the norm for any potential Az'kel suitor. Strength and prowess were sought after traits when Az'kel woman looked for a partner, with scars and bruising far more appealing than height or jawline. After all, with women playing such a dominant role in Az'kel society, they could afford to be picky and thus the men would often go to great lengths to impress.

But it was all safe enough, no risk of death, no real threat. Males would fight with their tails, and the strikes were never aimed to kill but rather at the extremities, aiming more to impress than to murder after all they were usually friends. This man however, no tail to be seen and no armour plating, had charged not one but three men for her, sustaining injuries that could have easily been fatal. He didn't do it for show, he didn't do it for glory, he did it to help her. He expected nothing in return, showing courage and fierce bravery just because he felt it was the right thing to do. These qualities had set her heart ablaze, leaving no choice but to claim him as her own, demonstrating in brutish fashion just how desirable he was as an Oovatyal. Looking at his injuries had rekindled that fierce passion, both in her heart and between her thighs.

As Henry calmed down, the dark skinned woman began gently kissing his forehead, each peck lingering longer and pressing harder than the last. The woman's hips rocked gently against him as she kissed his face all over. Her rocking grew more eager, her body edging closer and closer to his, gasping as she felt something hard pressing against her. Henry's cheeks flushed red, caught off guard by such sudden passion, biting his lip slightly as she pressed against his morning wood. She looked down at his trousers, surprised to see a bulge already present, feeling his hard member beneath her as she moved her hips slowly against it. The woodcutter placed his hands either side of her face, guiding her lips gently against his.

Azrielle blushed as she felt his warm lips against hers, enjoying the strange new sensation. His strong heated hands holding her face made her knees feel weak as he gently parted her lips with his. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Whatever it was he was doing, it was getting her hot and eager for more. His tongue moved slowly between her lips, searching for some reciprocation. Azrielle got the message, gingerly moving the tip of her tongue against his, the frenzy of lust burning fiercely between her thighs as the kiss deepened. It felt strange and wrong somehow, she'd never seen any Az'kel do such a thing, but it felt…

His tongue brushed against hers, sending an excited chill down her spine. She moaned, pushing her tongue back against his, turning her head to the side slightly as the kiss deepened. It felt incredible. She didn't understand how he'd gotten erect without the serus from her fangs, but her thoughts were clouded further and further by lust every second so she didn't much care. She moved her hands down, lingering against his warm muscular chest, before deftly unbuckling his trousers. She struggled with pulling down his boxers, unwilling to break the kiss which grew messier and more impassioned by the moment, until eventually Henry himself had to lend a helping hand. He lifted her slightly with one hand, making her squeak and her eyes screw shut with admiration at his strength, as he used his other to pull his member free of the fabric. Azrielle gripped it in her hands as the woodcutter's returned to her waist, scarcely believing how hot it felt.

She lifted her hips, practically drooling into the heated exchange of saliva, needing to feel his heat inside of her. She tried to lower herself onto him, knowing that she must be dripping wet and more than ready to accommodate him. She hissed in frustration as his cock failed to enter her, something that surprised and alarmed Henry. She reached down and moved the black lace underwear, now drenched in her juices, to the side aggressively. She gripped his cock once more and lowered herself down, moaning aloud and gasping as she felt his thick shaft push up into her. She quivered and panted, her tight walls squeezing and massaging his cock as she came slightly. Henry, needing something else to focus on lest she milk him to orgasm already, pulled her with rough clumsiness into a kiss. Azrielle moaned sweetly, her tongue diving desperately between his lips once more.

Her hips began rocking and bouncing, the black frilly dress ruffling up and down as she rode his cock, saliva dripping messily from the corner of her mouth as she desperately sought to explore every last inch of her lover's mouth with her tongue. She found herself trying to pull away, instinctively wanting to bite his neck, having to stop herself as she launched her lips back against his. Her bouncing grew faster and more desperate, her wet walls quivering and sliding against his sensitive head as she did so. Henry felt his cock twitch, edging closer and closer with every provocative moan and whimper. He moved his hands below her dress, gripping her soft ass firmly in his fingers, slowing her bouncing. He didn't want to finish yet, he wanted to enjoy himself more.

Azrielle was confused by his actions, worrying that she had done something wrong or perhaps even hurt him, ready to dismount as he held her at a stop. She gasped in pleasure as his hands squeezed her ass, his tongue moving against hers, his hunger still evident as his cock twitched inside her. His strong arms guided her hips back and forth slowly, enjoying how it felt inside of her, taking things steady to enjoy it for as long as possible. For Azrielle, even without the bouncing, his hot tip stretching her out and pushing against her cervix made her whimper and whine with bliss.

The couple continued their heated kiss, Azirelle steadily getting the hang of the rhythmic almost dance-like movements, swirling her tongue around against his as she savoured his flavour. Her breathing became heavy, and he could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she desperately tried to press as much of her body against his as possible. Her tail began to rattle and shimmer, something Henry knew meant she was close. He lifted her up, her pillowy ass spilling out between his fingers slightly, before lowering her again on his cock. She didn't need further encouragement; aggressively bouncing herself to a loud messy orgasm that shook her entire body. Her lips left his as she threw her head back in ecstasy, her tail quivering and shaking, her walls pulsating steadily up from his base to his tip. Henry didn't stop however, forcing her ass up and down, his cock squeezed tight by her walls as he continued to fuck her. The overstimulation made her legs twitch, burying her face against his neck as she whimpered and squirted messily against him. The lewd noises and her firm warm walls literally milked him dry as he held her down firmly against him, his tip pressing against her cervix as thick hot ropes shot forth, filling her up entirely and spilling out onto his boxers.

The Az'kel collapsed against him, panting and overheating slightly, something she didn't know was possible for her race. Henry winced as she moved around slightly, his sensitive member still firmly inside of her, desperately wanting to pull out. The woman began to gently kiss at his cheek and neck however, snuggling up close to him. He moved his hands from her ass and thighs, running his fingers through her soft platinum hair. After a few moments of cooling down and catching her breath, Azrielle gently lifted herself up off of his lap, sitting herself down next to him. She leaned her back against him, grinning from ear to ear as she adjusted her panties, marvelling at just how damp she'd gotten them.

"You're really big" She commented, feeling herself still stretched out slightly from the lengthy ride. Henry couldn't help but smirk, knowing if it was far more likely that she was just tight and unaccustomed to such a sensation, but nevertheless allowing the comment to bolster his ego. She leaned her head back, careful not to poke him with her horns, as she asked him a question.

"So how come you got big? Do you make your own serus?" She inquired, noting the man's comparatively blunt teeth and wondering if he had perhaps simply bitten his own tongue to achieve this feat.

"Serus? Oh, right, yeah; venom. No I don't have any of that. You were rubbing against me and the noises you were making were… well they got me excited so I got hard." He explained shyly, feeling a little silly at having to explain such basic knowledge. She stared at him with wide eyes, her cheeks growing rosy as the implication dawned on her.

"Azrielle made you hard just from looking at her and feeling her?!" She asked in astonishment, having never received such flattery before. While it was true she considered herself attractive (despite her petite frame and lackluster height when compared to other Az'kel women) she had worried that the scar upon her face might have rendered her undesirable in the eyes of a male. After all, while the Az'kel men were to be fierce and aggressive, it was the women who were soft and pretty that were the most sought after. That worry left her entirely as she realised just how attractive he must see her, to become erect without her venomous aid. She held his head gently, guiding his lips down to hers once more as the pair shared a loving delicate kiss.

"What was… what did we…" She asked timidly, wanting to know what it was called so that she could place a name to the wonderful activity.

"Oh, it's called kissing. Do you… do you not do that in the south?" He inquired, wondering if perhaps the sharing of meat from their mouths was their equivalent. Azrielle shook her head, renewed heat between her thighs as she thought back on how pleasurable it had been.

"No, but Azrielle really really likes it." She admitted, pulling him down for another tender though slightly deeper kiss, before snuggling down with her head on his lap. Henry felt confident and ready for the day ahead, after all, how could he not be after a start like that? He was already planning out the morning activities: He needed to fill that storage to the brim with logs, feed and check the horses over, maybe even practice a few shots with the crossbow. By then the sun would have sufficiently melted most of last night's snow and they could begin their journey south.

Though he had his heart set firmly on getting her home, and keeping her safe at all costs, at the back of his mind he couldn't help but wonder what to explore with her next…

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and congratulations to those of you who picked to go north! This week your options are a little bit saucier, as you get to decide what the pair experiment with as they travel south:

A ) Foreplay: from fingers to tongues, there's a lot more the pair can enjoy each other with.

B ) Different positions: Cowgirl is fun, but Henry can't help but wonder just how flexible the petite woman is…

C ) Her aphrodisiac: With such a potent sexual stimulant, he wouldn't mind her using it on him again, or even find out if she can use it on herself...

Don't forget, if you would like to vote for the next chapter's choice (As well as get access to a bunch of story polls and behind the scenes chatter) you can play along by donating as little as

$2 to my at /SmutKnight


	3. Chapter 3

Henry stretched his arms and legs, relieved to find they ached significantly less than the day before. He got to his feet, the Az'kel laying down fully onto the seat as she recovered from their tiring lovemaking session. Henry opened the door a crack, causing Azrielle to shiver as frigid air crept into the interior of the carriage. The sky was still a murky navy colour, with touches of crimson creeping in from the east. The thick blanket of storm clouds had dissipated somewhat, as Henry had expected, and it looked as if it would stop snowing altogether in just a few hours. He closed the door, much to Azrielle's relief.

"What were you looking at?~" She inquired, a sweet and satisfied tone to her voice as she addressed her lover. She felt as if she was practically glowing, still able to feel his heat inside of her.

"I just wanted to know what time it was. As much as I'd love to go back to sleep I think it's best we start the day early. After all, it's a long journey south so a headstart wouldn't hurt." The woodcutter explained, beaming down at the exotic woman splayed out before him. She nodded in agreement sleepily, a long yawn escaping her lips as she fought to stay awake.

"Alright so, we know what equipment we have now, that's a good start. We haven't got much food left, so we'll need to sort something out sooner rather than later. I left my fishing gear at the lake and that's a long way off the track so we can't easily go get that, besides if I wanted to fish we'd have to stop still for a long time and that's not ideal…" Henry began, Azrielle rubbing her eyes and slowly sitting herself up, smiling in admiration at how practical and thoughtful he was. She placed her hands in her lap, fiddling with the delicate black fabric as she listened intently.

"Now that we have a crossbow, we can definitely go hunting if we ever get the chance. Plenty of deer and hares in these parts." He continued. Azrielle nodded along in complete agreement, despite not knowing what either of those animals were.

"But most importantly we need more firewood to keep you warm, so I think I'll fill our storage up with firewood while we're nice and out of the way. That sound good to you Azrielle?" He inquired, blushing as he realised the woman was staring at him with adoration in her eyes.

"This sounds very good, yes" She cooed, batting her eyelashes at the man and grinning as his cheeks grew steadily more rosy. There was something about her gaze that made his pulse quicken. He suspected it was the intensity of her eyes and the fact she was giving him her complete and undivided attention; though it could just as easily be that he was still unused to being caught in the gaze of a beautiful woman. Noticing the fire was now little more than cinders and ash, he got to his knees and began to stack logs into the firepit. Turning to ask if he could retrieve the flint and steel from below her seat, he noticed something tucked away beneath her tail at the far end of the seat.

"What have you got there?" He asked inquisitively, wondering if she'd found something else once belonging to the slavers. The Az'kel turned her head to the side slightly, unsure of what he was referring to.

"Under your tail, is that a book?" Henry asked, amazed at how quickly she sat up straight, moving her tail to hide it completely from sight. She tried to avoid his gaze, grinning sheepishly as her tail end dragged back and forth against the wooden floor. The woodsman raised an eyebrow, wondering what she could possibly have that would get her so defensive. After a tense moment of conflicting feelings, Azrielle relented and scooped the book out from under her tail, holding it shyly in her lap. It was a small ledger bound in leather with a drawstring wrapped tight around the cover holding it closed. Held to the spine by the drawstring was an ornate dark oak pencil. In the top left corner was branded a circular seal depicting two arrows crossed over each other in an 'X' shape. Henry was unfamiliar with the symbol but it didn't take a genius to discern it must be the company's seal the slavers had belonged to.

"Azrielle found it on the shelf while you were sleeping. Mostly empty so Azrielle is using it as a memor-vetyal" The dark-skinned woman explained, quickly realising by Henry's continued unclear expression that this word was not something he understood.

"To… to write down thoughts and feelings" She elaborated shyly, incredibly self conscious as to what her lover would think of her for doing so. Henry smiled in excitement as he sat beside her, holding his hand out.

"You're using it as a diary? May I see?" The woodcutter asked excitedly, able to count on one hand the number of books he'd read. It was uncommon for men with an occupation such as his to be able to read; usually a luxury reserved for those of inner cities or religious communes. His father had gone through great effort to teach him this skill however, believing the meager collection of books that had been handed down through the family for generations were something his son should be able to cherish and enjoy much like he had.

She bit her lip pensively as she thumbed the leather covering, unsure of whether to let even her oovatyal read the contents of the pages. After all, she had intended for this book to be a sanctuary for her thoughts and feelings, somewhere she could express them without worry for what others might think. She looked to her lover's kind eyes and couldn't help but smile, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she hesitantly passed him the book. He took the book gratefully, running his fingers along the rough leather covering as he brought the ledger up to his nose. Azrielle watched in fascination as he inhaled deeply through his nose, a grin from ear to ear adorning his face. He turned to the Az'kel, who was looking at him with an almost comical amount of concern.

"Sorry, books all smell the same, it's oddly comforting" He explained sheepishly, Azrielle's expression becoming cheerful at the adorable revelation. She was beginning to discover there was more to this man than his brawn and kindness, and everything new she learned about him made her heart flutter in adoration. She watched as he removed the pencil from the spine, admiring it's dark lacquer finish. He'd never owned one himself; it was something much more suited to the manager of a workyard needing to keep track of imports and exports than it was someone paid to cut down trees. Carefully, he slid the pencil back under the drawstring. Satisfied that it was properly secured, he handed the book back to Azrielle.

"Did… did you not want to read it?" She asked, having prepared herself mentally for him rifling through her innermost thoughts. He chuckled, shaking his head.

"It's not mine to read, it's your dia- um… memor-vetyal, that's something for your eyes only" He mused, though he did wonder what sorts of things she had chosen to record so far. She clutched the book to her chest, a thankful smile on her lips as she nodded in agreement, impressed by his use of Az'kel words.

Henry helped her to her feet as he explained he needed the flint and steel, opening up the underseat storage and taking out the firestarter as well as two sticks of dried meat. He held one out to Azrielle who looked at it hungrily.

"Fancy some breakfast?" He asked, met with incredibly eager nodding from the silver haired woman as her tail rattled out behind her on the floor. He handed her one of the meat sticks and sat down. She looked to the spot next to him on the seat, and then looked at him with longing in her eyes. She looked deeply into the woodcutters eyes as she moved forward and straddled him. He blushed hard, alarmed that she had gotten in the mood again so soon and unsure of whether he would be able to perform given how recently he'd climaxed. The woman didn't grind against him, however, seeming to just sit facing him as she nibbled away at her jerky.

Her eyes flitted between the dried salty meat and Henry's bruised and cut face as she gleefully munched away at her breakfast. Henry ate too, though found it rather hard to concentrate with the woman's soft thighs pressing on either side of him. Azrielle noticed the minor discomfort on his face, and as she finished off her morning meal she asked what was bothering him.

"Well it's… this will get some getting used to" He admitted, her wide dark green eyes searching his face, her lips moving slightly as she followed along with his words. She smiled warmly at him, ever impressed by his honesty.

"Azrielle knows maybe she looks strange to you, after all humans looked very strange indeed first time Azrielle saw one! No horns or tail and such strange hair and…" Henry shook his head and laughed slightly, apparently having given her the wrong idea.

"No no no you're fine, I think you look beautiful, even if the tail is a little intimidating… and the horns… but I meant this:" As he spoke he gestured to her sitting position, still straddling him. She felt relief wash over her as she realised it was not her looks that were making him uncomfortable.

"Oh! Is Azrielle your first?~" She teased, a sudden sultry tone to her voice as she fluttered her eyelashes at him, a sly smirk on her lips. Henry shook his head, not willing to admit that she was in fact his first just yet, confused as to how she'd come to that conclusion.

"No I just meant you sitting like this, while we eat. That isn't something people really do" He explained. He'd never seen any northern couple, no matter how fond of public displays of affection, having sat like this while they ate. Azrielle bit her lip, realising now why he'd seemed a little distracted. She began to quickly explain herself, not wanting him to assume she was abnormal in her behaviours.

"Sorry! Azrielle did not realise this was not common for your people. When an Az'kel woman claims her Oovatyal; her lover-" Azrielle began, Henry's heart skipping a beat as the word lover left her lips, still scarcely believing she'd chosen him.

"- She will sit on him like this to show to others that they are together. It is good for talking and bonding, and easy food sharing..." She continued, trailing off a little towards the end, remembering this was not something he had been keen on when she'd tried it before.

"A-and it means you are protected, can use tail to keep us safe while we eat!" She quickly added, wanting to move past the food sharing comment. To demonstrate the point she raised her tail and swung it in the air behind her menacingly, careful not to hit the fireplace's chimney or the walls of the carriage. She chuckled nervously at having to justify herself so fervently, her self consciousness fading away as Henry laughed, finishing the last of his cured meat.

"That's fine, I actually rather like it. It's a little intimate but… it's nice." He admitted, her tail rattling as she gripped his face and kissed his forehead tenderly, before nuzzling her cheek against his. It was her turn to giggle, his stubbly almost spiky facial hair feeling strange against her skin. After a few moments of cuddling and chatting, mostly about how Henry would have preferred bacon and eggs for breakfast and trying to explain what both tasted like to the clueless Az'kel, she dismounted him and he worked on starting the fire back up.

Satisfied that the small blaze of dried pine needles he'd used as kindling would take to the stacked logs in no time at all, he turned to face the Az'kel who had been scribbling down in her diary while he tended to the flame. He didn't want to intrude, quickly turning his gaze from the pages, but not before noticing that although her handwriting was incredibly neat he couldn't recognise a single word. He couldn't help but smile, knowing she had been so thankful for him not to have read her diary, yet he couldn't have even if she'd have wanted him to on account of not speaking the Az'kel language. Seeing he was done, she got to her feet and stretched to put it atop the shelf behind her. In doing so, her frilly dress lifted aided by her thick tail, fully exposing her ass to Henry which the lace panties clung to tightly. He tried not to look, but found it hard to take his eyes off of her. Once she'd placed the diary away safely, she turned to Henry bouncing up and down slightly with excitement at finally beginning their journey home.

Henry thought it best the temperature sensitive Az'kel stay within the warm safety of the carriage. After all even though the sun was steadily rising, it would still be hours before the temperature got above freezing. Azrielle was adamant on accompanying him however, citing concern for his safety in case he came across any deer or hares and needed protection. The woodsman chuckled, but from the way she was shifting about he could tell she was perhaps feeling anxious at being cooped up in the relatively small wagon for so long. He reluctantly agreed, but not before bundling her up tight with the thick woolen blanket over the top of her dress. She couldn't stop grinning as he wrapped her up, appreciating the touching concern for her well-being.

"Alright, first of all we need to tend to the horses, there's plenty of oats and grain but we'll nee-" He opened the door, stopping as he realised Azrielle was not following him outside. He turned to face her, a nervous expression on her face.

"They are gentle, yes?" She asked with clear concern. Henry understood her fear, after all the horses were almost twice as tall as she was and he doubted she'd ever interacted with any before.

"Of course they are, they're very sweet. Do you not have horses in Vastreshi forest?" He inquired. The apprehensive woman shook her head as she climbed out of the carriage, standing close behind him. This struck Henry as odd, as he didn't know of any forests nearby that didn't harbour wild horses. Nevertheless, he took Azrielle's hand and slowly walked around to the front of the carriage as the two large horses with their thick shaggy coats covered in snow stood watching them from the far end of the large roofless building. Azrielle squeezed her lover's hand hard, a nervous squeak escaping her lips as the gentle giants began to trot over slowly.

She positioned herself behind the woodcutter, her tail curved up and over her shoulder similar to a scorpion. The horses stopped dead in their tracks as they caught sight of the serpent like appendage hovering menacingly behind the pair, unsure of what to make of it and feeling more nervous by the second. Henry had been around horses frequently in Lampveller, often helping to load wood into horse-drawn carts, and so was able to immediately recognise the animal's anxiety. He looked over his shoulder, spotting the Az'kel's tail poised and seemingly ready to strike. One of the horses stamped the snow and let out a whinny, which caused Azrielle to flinch in fear.

"Hey… hey you're Ok. I think they're scared of your tail. Could you try lowering it for me?" Henry asked calmly, holding his hand up with his palm facing the horses in an attempt to calm them, knowing that if they bolted all hope of heading south would be lost. He could feel Azrielle's breathing become short and fearful from how close she was pressed up against him. He squeezed her hand gently, keeping his eyes on the horses who chuffed and whinnied once more, ever more alarmed by the ominous hovering appendage.

"Trust me, just relax, I promise I'd keep you safe but you need to trust me" Henry repeated, letting out a relieved sigh as he felt the woman slowly untense, the crisp sound of flattened snow behind him as her tail was lowered onto it. The horses remained where they were, still unsure of the strange horned woman, but seemed visibly more at ease. Henry took a moment to assess the situation, before turning slowly round to the visibly shaken Az'kel.

"Why don't you get up into the driver's seat so you're nice and safe, and I'll let you feed them so they know you're not a threat." He explained softly, prompting a nervous yet affirmative nod from the bundled up woman. He helped her up onto the front of the cart, using his arm to clear it of snow before she sat down. She kept a hold of his hand even as she sat there, shaking like a leaf though he suspected it was not due to the cold. He asked her to hand him an apple and without taking her eyes off of the horses, she rummaged around at her feet until she found the sack full of fruit. She handed him an apple, quickly retracting her hand as she noticed the animals immediately approach the cart. She squeaked again, squeezing his hand hard as one of the beasts sauntered up to Henry and began chomping noisily at the apple in his hands. Henry beamed at the horse, before looking back to Azrielle who had a look of abject horror plastered over her face. He shook his head, knowing that it would be a tough journey if he couldn't get her accustomed to them.

The second horse approached from the side, nibbling playfully at the fur on Henry's jacket which made him laugh. He asked the Az'kel for another apple, and she held another out for him, though her body was leaning as far as possible in the other direction. He held the apple next to the cart, making the horse move to be adjacent to it, its head next to Azrielle. As the horse chomped away at the crisp near-frozen apple, Henry gently moved her hand which was still in his grasp up to the neck of the beast. Her arm trembled as she was moved towards it, another fearful squeak escaping her lips as the back of her hand rubbed against its thick fur. She found it to be warm and soft, gingerly letting go of Henry's hand so she could move her fingers through its dense coat.

It didn't take long of stroking the steed for the Az'kel to get comfortable with him, both horses seemingly at ease with the woman now that they'd been fed. Henry directed her to the bag of oats and grain, instructing her to hold her hand flat as he poured some of the mix onto her palm. She gasped as the horses gently began to eat from her hand, their unsettling wet tongues causing her to groan in disgust as Henry laughed. After feeding them several more handfuls of the nourishing mixture, albeit from Henry's hand as Azrielle was much too preoccupied with petting them both to feed them herself, he put the feed away and the horses trotted away satisfied. Azrielle whined as they moved away from her, getting down from the carriage and holding Henry's hand once more.

"I like them, very big but very soft: gentle friends." She announced, leaning herself against Henry. He leaned down and planted a peck on her forehead, proud of her for her bravery. As the horses lowered their heads and began munching on some fresh snow, he realised they hadn't named them yet.

"Would you like to name them?" He asked, the Az'kel immediately bouncing in excitement at the prospect as she dragged Henry closer to them. The horses paid no mind to the pair, clearly more interested in snuffling about in the snow. Azrielle looked them both up and down. One of them had a dark grey coat with white fur around its ankles, and the other was a patchwork of oddly shaped black and white splodges. She scrunched her face up, deep in thought as she studied the animals, searching for a fitting name. Her expression changed from excitement, to pensive, then to something Henry could only describe as forlorn. She turned to Henry as she spoke, a suddenly sombre tone to her voice.

"Azrielle wishes to call this one Ohtyl" She decided quietly, pointing towards the stallion with the dark grey coat. Her mood had suddenly dropped and Henry didn't know why. Perhaps that name had some importance to her? Looking at the other horse, he smiled as he thought of a way to cheer her up.

"Do you mind if I name this one? That way we get to name one each" He asked quietly, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand comfortingly. She nodded, though she still seemed disheartened. Henry rubbed his chin as he looked the horse up and down, cracking a smile as he decided on the perfect name for him.

"Henry Junior" He announced with conviction, catching Azrielle off guard who looked at him with disbelief.

"You wish to name the horse as if he were your son?" She asked in amazement of his ridiculousness, unable to stop herself from smiling. Henry, relieved for his plan to have worked, nodded confidently with a sly smirk across his lips.

"Yep, he looks just like me" He added comically, gesturing to the horse's face who looked up at him slowly, snow falling messily from his mouth. Azrielle couldn't help but laugh at his absurd comment, her sweet melodious giggle echoing about the ruined building.

"You are very silly. You are much more handsome than this beast." Azrielle remarked sweetly, leaning her head against his shoulder. Henry turned to the shorter woman, placing his hand delicately beneath her chin, pleased to have cheered her up. He pressed his lips against hers in a tender gentle kiss. Her cheeks turned scarlet as he stood up straight once more, loving how intimate and affectionate being kissed felt. Henry pouted humorously at the patch-work horse, feeling bad for him.

"Well, how about we call him 'Handsome' so he can be just like me?" He asked; another delightful laugh echoing about the room as the Az'kel nodded in agreement. After a few minutes of Azrielle fussing over her new friends, introducing herself and informing them of their new names, Henry ushered the sun-kissed woman out of the ruined building and into the neighbouring forest. He turned his attention to the old cobbled road as they walked by it, keeping an eye out for any unwanted visitors. The snow lay undisturbed atop it, the blizzard having hidden all signs they had come this way.

Henry pulled out his axe and Azrielle watched as he hacked at a large birch tree, felling it in just a few minutes of well-angled blows. Though she was pleased to be outside in the fresh air, her legs were quickly beginning to feel cold and she couldn't help but tense up everytime a large snowflake landed on her horns. Seeing that she was struggling, Henry decided one tree would be enough for now. He affixed his axe to his belt as he gripped the trunk, ready to drag it. Though his back hurt less, the bruising having gone down slightly from his brawl last night, he still groaned with the effort as he pulled it. He wouldn't normally fell such a large tree, blaming his choice on trying to impress the woman and get as much fuel as possible in one go. Luckily, Azrielle was keen to help, hooking her strong tail under the trunk and taking most of the weight as they made their way back to the ruins.

Noticing that his companion was starting to shiver, wishing they had more weather suitable clothes she could wear, he asked if she could go inside and warm up a little while he worked on delimbing the tree. She seemed hesitant to leave him, but as a strong gust blew between her exposed legs causing a violent shiver up her spine, she relented. Before returning into the cabin however, she gingerly approached Henry and placed a passionate appreciative kiss upon his lips. Her tail curled absentmindedly around them both as her lips lingered against his, not wishing for the moment to end. A fresh shiver rose up her spine causing her to groan softly in defeat, turning and trudging back into the ruins. Henry waited until he heard the carriage door close before he proceeded with delimbing the tree, wanting to know she was safe and warm.

It took several minutes for him to saw every last branch off of the tall tree, getting down on his knees as he began to work in the trunk itself. He was vaguely aware of the carriage door opening again and approaching footsteps, turning to face Azrielle who had the crossbow in one hand, his knapsack in the other and a quiver full of bolts hanging from her tail. She placed the knapsack next to him and planted a warm kiss on his forehead, explaining she was warm enough to stay out for a bit and wanted practice with the crossbow. Henry had no objections, even sawing off a thin slice of the trunk for her to use as a target, leaning it against a dilapidated wall forty or so feet away. He thought it best she learned how to defend herself from range in case it was ever needed. Though he had no doubt in her ability as far as close-quarter combat was concerned, given her monstrously sized armour-plated bludgeon currently holding the bolts aloft.

It took about half an hour for the woodcutter to carve up the tree trunk, even splitting the logs with his axe to make them more manageably sized. In that time Azrielle had loosed a couple dozen bolts, though scarcely any found their way to the target. Halfway through Henry had noticed her hands were shaking from the cold, gifting her his gloves to wear. Even though they were far too big for her, the warmth in her hands seemed to steady her shot and towards the end of her practice she was able to hit the target almost every shot. Henry complimented her accuracy, her tail rattling out happily as she beamed at him. He filled the knapsack up and Azrielle insisted on carrying it inside, coming back twice more before the entirety of the tree had been transported inside. There were too many logs to fit in the underseat storage, so Henry left the final load of wood in the knapsack and sat it between the seat and the fireplace against the wall.

Azrielle warmed her horns by the fire as Henry expressed his interest in practicing with the crossbow too. As the sun finally rose fully over the mountain ranges on the horizon, Henry got himself accustomed to the bolt thrower. He had a tough time loading the thing quickly, but supposed such a skill would come with time. Firing half a dozen bolts that all thudded into the wooden disc, he was impressed by his accuracy. He sighed, lowering the crossbow as he walked up to retrieve the bolts. Hitting a stationary target whilst calm was one thing, hitting a moving target under the stress of battle was another. After all, the slaver had missed him when he was barely five feet away and he had undoubtedly had much more practice than Henry had. Pulling the bolts from the wood, he was pleased to see the dark-skinned woman petting and talking to the horses. He'd had enough practice for now, it was time they got on the move.

"Want to help me settle them into their reigns?" Henry asked, an excited nod from his companion as she realised it was time to leave. She looked at her saviour with wide eyes and practically threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you." She whispered, standing on her tip-toes to plant several small pecks on his lips, blushing fiercely as she turned to help coax the horses around to the front of the cart. It didn't take long to get them back in their harnesses and the wheels of the carriage creaked as they shuffled about and got ready to move. Azrielle of course would have to sit in the back while they travelled lest she freeze, something that disappointedly her sorely as she wished to sit and chat with her lover. Not wishing to go without a parting gift, she clambered up onto the driver's seat and looped her tail around the back of his head, pulling him into a deep and passionate kiss. Her tongue swirled against his eagerly, infatuated with his taste as she struggled to pull herself away. In the end it was the horses who grew impatient, beginning to trot forward which made the Az'kel jump, quickly hurrying down and into the carriage before they picked up speed.

Henry used the reigns to guide them out of the dilapidated shell of a building, turning them back onto the cobbled track as they started south. The quiet morning air slowly came to life with intermittent birdsong, the rest of the world beginning to wake up as the last of the snow drifted noiselessly to the ground. Henry couldn't help but feel as if he were woefully unprepared for the monumental journey ahead of them, despite their large stock of firewood. What would he do if he ran into more slavers? Would they recognise the carriage as one of theirs? Which route would be safest for them to take? Would he be able to keep them both fed? His mind raced and his heart thumped in his chest.

As panic began to settle in fully in his mind, gripping the reigns with white-knuckles, he became aware of a soft voice from behind him. Even through the thick wood of the carriage, Azrielle's pleasant voice was audible, singing to herself. He could not recognise the words as the song was clearly in her language, but the tune was cheerful and her voice delightful. Steadily, anxiety and fear left Henry's head, focusing on her sweet melody instead.

The lumberjack kept his eyes peeled for the cage he'd dragged off to one side of the track, but as they travelled further and further along the old road he realised they must have passed it already. He breathed a sigh of relief. If he hadn't spotted it while knowing roughly where it was, it was definitely hidden well enough from prying eyes. The horses walked onwards still, the worst of the night's snow beginning to melt away under the sun's rays. As they approached the crossroads, Henry looked left along the road towards Lampveller; his home. There were a few other carts and wagons further down the road, undoubtedly people he'd recognise from around town. It felt surreal, how the town to his right continued on, blissfully unaware of the events of yesterday. He breathed a heavy sigh as the cart tumbled over the crossroads and down the southern road, a silent goodbye to the place he'd lived all his life.

Their pace was quick, the strong northern horses making short work of the foot deep snow as they continued into the day. This road was busy; the main connection for Lampveller to the more southern cities. They passed plenty of other carriages and people on foot, shooting them a friendly wave as they did so. He wondered what their reaction would be if they knew who was hidden away inside the carriage. He liked to think most northerners were good and kind people, but there were always outliers, like whoever it was that had intended on purchasing her in the first place. Regardless, he didn't want to stop and found out.

The path south carved its way through the boreal forests with almost unwavering directness, scarcely deviating from a straight line save for ancient wooden bridges that crossed fast flowing rivers. This land was still known to him, still familiar. He'd spent a few summers trudging through these rivers with his father, catching salmon and panning for gold. He could still recall the chill of the water through his boots, not wanting to imagine how quickly his passenger would succumb to such bitingly cold conditions. With every passing wagon and cart, Henry checked the driver's coat nervously. A burgundy tailcoat, with white sleeves; that was the apparel of a slaver. He was relieved to have seen none yet, recalling a time he'd overheard some trying to chat up a barmaid in Lampveller. Apparently the tailcoat was supposed to seem professional, as if their occupation were something to be respected and not simply destroying the lives of men and women for a profit. The burgundy colour was to easily recognise other slavers, after all there must be a fair bit of solidarity among people with such a despicable and frowned upon career. But it was the white sleeves that disgusted him the most. It was supposed to show they had treated the captive humanely, no blood nor muck upon their sleeves. This particular slaver had thought it was a laughable way to appease the buyers, citing how his men would simply roll their sleeves up when handling the 'livestock' as he so grotesquely put it.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Henry was pleased with the progress they were making. In the distance a great mountain range came into view, marking the furthest from home he'd ever travelled. There were scarce few ways through this particular chain of peaks, with most opting for the winding mountain pass that connected Lampveller to the first of the large northern cities: Pineholme. The mountain pass itself was incredibly steep and as such the road snaked its way up slowly, making the trek arduous and taking more than a few hours to traverse completely. Thankfully that made this side of the pass a popular location for travellers heading from Pineholme to find some respite before journeying on to their destination, resulting in several inns clustered together at the foot of the mountain range. Henry wondered how much a meal for the both of them would cost, knowing they had seldom any coin to their name.

As the day bore on, he began to worry that the woman was perhaps growing too bored on her own cooped up, and grew slightly envious of how warm it must be inside. His nose and cheeks had long since lumbed, having been moving for several hours now, and decided it was time for a lunch break. There was a small path leading off to a slow moving river which must have been a fishing spot for the locals. The woodcutter directed the horses up along this track a ways until he was satisfied they were far enough away from the frequently used road and any prying eyes. As the horses came to a stop, he fed them both an apple for their hard work, thanking them for working so hard for him. He knocked against the door, not wanting to surprise her.

"It's only me, can I come in?" Henry asked, immediately feeling ridiculous for asking such a question. Much to his delight however, Azrielle opened the door quickly and pulled him inside. He found himself becoming fully enveloped in the woman's tail as it curled around them both, the Az'kel standing on her tip-toes as she kissed him over and over. Feeling how cold his face was, she ushered him down onto the seat closest to the fire, straddling him immediately and leaning herself against him. Even though he was wearing his coat, he could feel her breasts pressing against him from beneath her dress sparking a flicker of excitement in his trousers.

"You are not too cold? How far have we travelled? Are Handsome and Ohtyl ok?" She rattled off question after question in rapid succession, scarcely giving the man a moment to actually answer. Sensing she was a tad overwhelmed and must have missed him, he gripped her face tenderly in his hands as he spoke softly and calmly.

"It's cold out there but you're warming me up plenty. In another few hours we'll be at the base of the Stickleback mountains, where I'll try find us somewhere to rest up for the night. The horses are fine, they tell me they're glad to be moving again." Henry remarked, kissing her reassuringly on her forehead, but failing to quell her excitement.

"The horses can talk?" She asked in astonishment, feeling a little offended that they had not spoken to her when she had greeted them earlier in the day. Henry chuckled, explaining he was joking, prompting an onslaught of kisses from the disgruntled woman. She wasted no time in removing his coat, hat and gloves, asking him all kinds of questions about how their journey had gone so far. She carefully inspected the bandages covering the wound on his arm as he told her all about the busy road, and that it was mostly just trees and rivers until they passed the mountain range. Her tail rattled at the word river, explaining how the Az'kel sourced their water from the mountains and that water flowing freely through the land was astonishing to her. Henry smiled, wordlessly fetching the blanket and draping it around her as he opened one of the carriage doors.

Azrielle's eyes took a moment to adjust to the bright daylight outside, staring in wonder at the wide sleepy river just outside. She tugged Henry outside, with Henry keeping an eye out for unwanted attention as she knelt beside the river bank. There were small chunks of ice that drifted by, fragments of large undisturbed glaciers to the far north. She reached out to feel the water against her hand, gasping sharply at how cold it was. Henry stood beside her, his heart beating in his chest as he urged her to move back slightly, petrified she might fall in. As the cage she'd been in had been covered for most of the journey, she hadn't had the opportunity to see much of these northern lands. She thought it was beautiful.

"Azrielle wishes she could sit and watch the water for hours" She sighed, already beginning to feel the cold getting to her. Henry put a warm arm around her shoulder, pointing to a larger chunk of ice almost the size of their carriage as it tumbled it's way downstream. She wished the folks back home could see this, they'd never believe there was so much ice in the world! The longer she looked at the shifting mass of frozen water, it's iridescent surface catching the sun's rays, the colder she felt. Reluctantly she re-entered the wagon, comforted by the warmth of the crackling fire.

The pair sat together in front of the fire as they munched their cured meat. Henry was hoping they'd find something else to eat soon, getting rather sick of the salty provision. Azrielle however couldn't seem to get enough, all manner of satisfied noises escaping her lips between each bite. She sat sideways on his lap, facing out of the open door so she could watch the flowing water. Henry finished before she did, noticing the Az'kel was on her third meat stick whereas he'd been content with one. He admired the wonder in her eyes, wishing he could be so infatuated with something that seemed so mundane to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close as they watched another large chunk of ice float by. This chunk was jagged and oddly shaped, and the pair watched as it hit a shallow spot in the river and cracked loudly, splintering into dozens of smaller ice chunks. Azrielle jumped as this happened, but soon realised she was safe from harm where she sat and so her tail rattled out in awe of the spectacle.

After finishing up her meal, taking a few tender moments to just enjoy her Oovatyal's warmth as she sat on his lap nuzzling her cheek against his, the pair got up and got ready to move once more. Azrielle insisted on being the one to feed the horses more of their feed as Henry refilled their waterskins in the river. As he listened to her talk to the animals warmly, he noticed she was talking to Ohtyl in Az'kel and Handsome in Human. He couldn't help but grin, wondering if the horses had a preference. Regardless, they had certainly seemed to warm up to her and one of them even prodded and licked at her horns curiously which made the exotic woman laugh and playfully tell him off. Henry stood for a while just admiring the gorgeous woman, beaming at her as she turned to face him.

"We are good to go now, yes? Will make it to Stickyblack mountains before dark?" The Az'kel asked, approaching him and standing uncomfortably close, looking up at him with her emerald eyes.

"Stickleback mountains-" He corrected, prompting a sheepish smile from his lover. "And yes we're good to go, we'll make it there in four or so hours. Not long at all. Have you made sure the horses are well fed?" He teased, amused by how quickly she'd gone from fearing them to doting over the gentle giants. Azrielle nodded enthusiastically, smiling back over her shoulder at them.

"Handsome is very strong and wise, Ohtyl is taller and thinks he knows best even though he is fussy eater." Azrielle concluded, apparently having got a good read on the animal's personalities in the few minutes she'd been tending to them. "Azrielle also ask them to behave for their pateryl '' She explained, looking up lovingly at the fur-clad man. Henry opened his mouth to ask what 'Pateryl' meant, only to find her lips against his as she earnestly kissed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her tongue moving against his slowly and passionately, needing one last kiss to satisfy her before being apart for a few more hours. Henry moved to lift her slightly, enjoying the kiss. He gripped the back of her bare thighs as he hoisted her upwards so her head was level with his. Reminded of her weighty tail, his hand slipped slightly so it was cupping her ass, feeling the lace material of her panties against his fingers. He squeezed her ass gently, unable to help himself, prompting a soft moan from the petite woman.

Knowing that they could very easily get carried away, and that it was best they make it to the mountain pass before it got too dark, the woodcutter reluctantly lowered her to the ground. He spent a moment admiring her enchantingly pretty face. From her smooth caramel skin, to her long dark eyelashes, her plump pillowy lips and those rich green eyes. He leaned downwards, kissing her gently once more, before ushering her back into the carriage so they could get moving again. She unenthusiastically made her way back inside, waving sweetly at him before closing the door.

The time seemed to pass quickly for Henry as they continued along the southern road. He couldn't keep his mind off of her, thoroughly smitten by the exotic woman. He played with the possibility of trying to sneak her into a room in one of the inns, after all she could probably hide her tail beneath a blanket. But then again, there wasn't much to be done to hide her horns. He frowned, unsure that they'd even be able to afford a room anyway, deciding it best to spend what little money they had on supplies. As the sun began to set, the steady smoke plumes of the taverns and inns at the foot of the mountain guided him forward. It was just how he'd remembered it from his childhood: A large clearing with several large log buildings on either side of the main road and all manner of horse drawn carriages dotted between them. He maneuvered the wagon round the back of one of the far buildings, on the very edge of the treeline to try and draw as little attention as possible.

Henry told Azrielle where they were, letting her step outside briefly to gaze up in awe at the snow covered behemoth before them; the lanterns of the various carriages moving up and down them illuminating the serpentine path winding up its side. She quickly retreated to the warmth of the carriage, not wishing to get spotted and finding it hard to bear the cold night air now that the sun had disappeared behind the distant mountains to the west. The lumberjack lead Handsome and Ohtyl over to a large sheltered stable, tying them to a post with a large trough full of hay to dine on. He thanked them for taking them so far today, and getting a strange look from another man tying up his horses, he bashfully left the stable and headed to the nearest Inn.

The atmosphere inside was jolly and raucous, with merchants and travellers already getting merry. At the bar men sought companions for the evening and ale for their bellies, jostling and joking with one another which Henry had to fight to be heard over. Chatting to the Innkeeper, a middle aged woman with frizzy red hair scarcely contained in a bun, he negotiated what his meager coin purse could get him. After some less than successful haggling, he managed to get a large haunch of smoked ham, two sacks of potatoes, a sack full of oats, a sack of onions and even a slab of smoked bacon. Pleased with his haul, hoping that these provisions would keep them going for a while, he headed back with his goods stacked up in his arms with the ham balancing precariously on top.

Henry called out to her as he approached, the Az'kel opening the door swiftly and sticking her head out, wondering as to why he was shouting. Seeing that he was struggling with so many items, she braved the cold to lend a hand, using her tail to hook around the sacks of produce as they hurried inside. He placed the bundle of food on top of the seat, catching his breath as he began to explain what he'd bought. Azrielle licked her lips, salivating slightly as she smelt what was hidden beneath the butchers paper. She turned to face Henry, excitement in her eyes.

"You said you hadn't tried bacon, so I got you some to try" He revealed, grabbing the sizable hunk of meat and unwrapping it for his companion to see. She sniffed the air hungrily at the salty smoky smell, her tail rattling out louder than he'd heard it before. Henry showed her the rest of the food, though her attention was focused solely on the bacon and the ham. He decided to fry up some of the bacon alongside some chopped potatoes, thoroughly amused by the ravenously hungry Azrielle who stood watching the meat cook, seemingly unable to comprehend how good it smelled. He had trouble getting her to sit down so he could plate their meals, and no sooner had he placed the plate on her lap than a rasher of bacon had been stuffed into her mouth. She moaned audibly, something not dissimilar to the noises she'd made whilst climaxing earlier which caused Henry to blush as he sat himself down.

Try as she might to savour the rich smoked flavour of the meat, her hunger got the best of her and she found herself having finished all of her meat before Henry had eaten a single rasher. He encouraged her to try the sliced potatoes, which she did hesitantly. Her joyous expression turned to disgust as she chewed the potato piece which turned to mush in her mouth. She turned to look at Henry, forcing herself to swallow with a sorrowful expression on her face. Henry couldn't help but laugh, reminded of a fussy child being forced to eat their vegetables. He asked if she liked it, trying to stifle his laughter, to which the Az'kel shook her head fervently. In the end, he ended up giving her half of his bacon in exchange for the remainder of her potato slices, a trade that under normal circumstances Henry would be bitterly opposed to. He figured it was worth it just to see the pure unbridled bliss on her face that came with every bite.

Once their meal was done and the frying pan and plates scrubbed clean with fresh snow, Henry sat himself down and found the Az'kel nuzzling into him almost immediately. She sat with her back against his side, her tail hanging over the edge of the seat curled up in front of the fire and her legs outstretched. They chatted about the day, how far they'd travelled, and whether or not Henry Junior was an acceptable name for a horse. Henry was trying to explain what a pig was and what part of it was bacon when he noticed Azrielle beaming up at him, a different kind of hunger in her eyes.

She reached up with one hand, tenderly guiding his lips down to hers, her horns pressing against his shoulder as she tilted her head back to kiss him. The kissing was gentle at first, a few loving pecks interspaced by her wonderful warm smile, but quickly grew deeper and more passionate. Their tongues danced and moved against each other, both partners finding the kiss very quickly turning them on. Azrielle moaned into the kiss, breaking it for a moment leaving a strand of saliva connecting their lips as she shifted her legs. She brought her knee up, accidentally moving the dress so that it was folded backwards revealing her thighs and her panties beneath. She went to move, ready to straddle her partner but found herself being stopped by Henry's firm hand, keeping her sat up against him. She tilted her head back to look up at him, closing one eye and gasping as she felt his hand move between her thighs.

The Az'kel quivered and moaned, arching her back against him as his fingers moved against the fabric of her panties. He rubbed his fingers back and forth, excited to find the fabric damp and spurred on by her lustful noises. After just a few moments their lips were locked once more, Azrielle plunging her tongue deeply into his mouth as he continued to pleasure her. Growing bolder and more turned on by the minute, his fingers ventured underneath the decorative lace fabric and moved against the slick wet warmth of her entrance. Azrielle trembled more, her breathing growing heavy and panting as she broke the kiss, finding herself close to climaxing already. He spread her lips with his fingers, Azrielle clutching at his shirt with her hands as she anticipated him entering her.

He slipped his middle and index finger inside of her, her tight walls seeming to throb and hug his digits tight. He pushed further up into her, hooking his fingers upwards slightly following the advice of an old friend, delighted to find the Az'kel moaning louder than before. She trembled and arched her back as he moved his fingers inside of her, her tail shimmering as she threw her head back in ecstasy, coating his hand in her hot messy nectar. Her horns impacted his shoulder hard as she threw her head back, but Henry was far too occupied with the mess coating his fingers to care. As her chest rose and fell, he found his gaze drawn to her bust. He used his free hand to pull at the straps of her dress till they fell over her shoulders, tugging gingerly at the top of her dress. Though she was still coming down from her climax, this action seemed strange to her. Nevertheless, eager to explore, she helped her lover by lowering her dress over her breasts.

Her perky breasts sprung forth into the warm air of the carriage, immediately intensifying the excitement within Henry's trousers. He gripped one eagerly in his hand, it's soft spherical shape slightly bigger than his grasp. He squeezed it gently, prompting a pleasured whimper from Azrielle who had never had her breasts handled before. He noticed how hard her nipple was, gently catching it between his thumb and forefinger as her tail rattled out. She bit her lip, grinding her hips against his hand that continued to rub her entrance while the other explored her breasts. He squeezed and pulled at her nipple gently, prompting all manner of lewd noises from the sun-kissed woman as her trembling frame struggled to contain the pleasure of such a new experience. Feeling her entrance practically dripping against his fingers as he rubbed her, he decided to try something he'd always wanted to do. He gripped her shoulders, a symphony of whines at the abrupt lack of attention as he positioned her with her back against the backrest.

He lowered himself off of the seat, getting to his knees in front of Azrielle. She gazed at him longingly, an intense lustful hunger in her eyes, expecting him to pounce on her and ravage her at any moment. Instead, he gripped her legs, firmly spreading them and moving between them as he pulled her panties off. She bit her lip as his fingers touched her sensitive inner thighs, her pussy still quivering and steadily leaking her juices, as it ached for more attention. He lowered his head and she realised what he was about to do a split second before he did it. She closed her eyes and turned her head, anxiety filling her body. Was he going to use his tongue? But she was all messy and wet, what if he didn't like her taste? Was this normal for humans or…

"MMnnnh O-oohh~" The Az'kel moaned out, a spike of pleasure shooting through her as his tongue met her clit. He swirled the tip of his tongue around her lovebud, flicking it back and forth which made his lover moan and whimper, her thighs tensing and untensing. It didn't take long for her legs to make their way onto his shoulders, crossing against his back and squeezing his head between her thighs as she climaxed a second time. Henry couldn't control himself any longer, needing to taste her for himself. His tongue glided downwards across her labia, gently parting them as he slipped his tongue inside of her. She panted and covered her eyes with her hands, embarrassed at the noises he was getting her to make and feeling light headed from being made to orgasm twice in quick succession. As he lapped her nectar up, he found himself salivating at her taste. She tasted sweet, her juices tasting almost exactly like honey as he greedily swallowed a mouthful of her mess.

Wanting to taste as much of her as possible, he moved his hands under her thighs to her ass, lifting her up towards him to find a better angle for his tongue. The experience of being manhandled was new to her, finding it exciting to have such a strong man caress her in such a way. She rocked her hips against his face, the hot heat of his tongue steadily making it's way further and deeper into her honeypot. She struggled to think straight, the overstimulation of her walls making her body twitch and tense with every movement of his tongue. Knowing he was tasting her felt wrong, like it was something for her to feel shameful for. Yet the noises of satisfaction he was making as he eagerly lapped up her nectar made her heart burn with excitement at the taboo nature of it.

As his grip tightened against her ass cheeks, she found herself pinching her nipple with one hand just as he had, using the other to roughly grip his hair as he continued to eat her out. Her body shook and she called out his name as she climaxed a third and final time, her back arching as she squirted heated messy nectar into his awaiting mouth. She tapped his back with her foot as she lay half off of the cushioned seat, having to practically pry his face from between her legs. The woodcutter relented, apologising sheepishly as he helped her back on to the seat, his face slick with her clear juices. Azrielle was exhausted, but she wanted her oovatyal to finish properly alongside her. She used her tail to push him forward into her, her lips making their way to his as a rush of embarrassment shot through her realising she could taste herself upon his lips. She fought the urge, but found herself succumbing to lust as her tongue moved eagerly into his mouth, his tongue coated in her nectar. She wanted to dislike it, after all it was her own mess, but the sweet flavour had her salivating as she fumbled with his belt and unbuckled his trousers.

As soon as her trousers were undone, she practically tore at his trousers, wrapping her legs around his waist and forcing his throbbing cock inside of her. It slipped in easily, her walls well and truly lubed from how hard she'd climaxed. From this angle with him on top of her, Henry felt himself bottom out before he was able to push his entire length inside of her, the dull ache of his cock hitting her cervix causing her to muffle a whimper into the kiss. He placed one hand on her thigh and the other on her breast as he thrust himself into her repeatedly, noticing her tail was pulling him into her much more than he was thrusting. Azrielle found herself sucking at his tongue, desperate to taste as much of her mess as possible, a dull yet pleasurable ache in her stomach from his manhood pounding against her cervix. The kiss grew messier and sloppier as they lost themselves in the passion, saliva dripping messily from her chin down onto her breasts.

Henry felt himself nearing his climax, pushing his member as deep up inside of the petite Az'kel as he could, finding himself biting down on her neck as he came. Thick hot ropes of come shot forcefully against her cervix, filling the exhausted woman up near instantly, a flood of excess mess dripping messily on to the floor below as he emptied himself inside of her. He practically collapsed on top of her, his legs having been at an uncomfortable angle and promptly given out the moment his head had cleared. Azrielle stroked his forehead tenderly as she felt herself growing sleepy from the thick heat inside of her, having never climaxed so many times in one evening before.

"So… tired…" She managed, unwilling to uncross her legs and release her lover, quite content to feel asleep with his cock inside of her and his body being used as a blanket. Henry groaned in agreement, tapping her thighs and having her reluctantly release him and allow him to pull out. He watched his thick seed steadily leak out of her, and in a moment of clarity he moved her dress out of the way and sat her up so he could lift if off of her, not wishing to stain her only dress. There Azrielle sat completely naked, beginning to doze off as sweat glistened against her caramel skin. Henry scooped the sleepy woman up into his arms, lying down with him on top of her. Her head was resting on his chest, her horns to the side of his head as she looked up at him with loving tired eyes.

"That was… you made me… three times" She struggled with her words, Henry having to shush the sleepy woman as he kissed her forehead tenderly, content that his body heat and the heat of the fire would keep her more than warm enough for them both to sleep comfortably. He kept one arm over her, holding her tight as she slipped into slumber atop him, using his other arm to rest his head as he looked into the fire. They'd gotten enough food to last them for a few days, and enough wood to last them another week or so, but they still didn't have a real direction once they'd crossed through the mountain pass. He began weighing up his options, deciding where best to take her before he found himself drifting slowly into a deeply pleasant sleep.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and congratulations to those patrons who voted for exploring other ways to please Azrielle through foreplay!

There are TWO decisions for patrons ready for this week:

(Remember, you can support the story and take part for as little as 2 dollars a month at /SmutKnight as well as earning lots of extra goodies! 3)

How should the pair explore each other in the next chapter?

A) Foreplay Part 2: Azrielle has experienced what Henry can do with his hands and mouth, she's very curious to see what she can do for him.

B) Azrielle's aphrodisiac: With such a potent sexual stimulant, he wouldn't mind her using it on him again, or even find out if she can use it on herself...

C) Multiple sex positions: Henry can't help but wonder just how flexible the petite woman is...

Which route should the pair head once they pass over the Stickleback mountains?

A) Travel directly south through the city of Pineholme: A large settlement built around geothermal hot springs. Regarded as the capital of the north and home to the wealthy and elite.

B) Travel southwest through sparsely populated valleys: Sure to be plenty of firewood, animals for hunting and a lack of prying eyes. The land is wild and untamed, which may present its own challenges.

C) Travel southeast along the coast: It will be bitterly cold, with most of the land uninhabited save for a few traditional fishing villages. But with flat terrain there's no faster way south.


	4. Chapter 4

Henry's deep blissful slumber came to a startling halt as a cry bounced off the carriage walls. He sat up quickly, groggy and discombobulated, raising his fists in a defensive stance. As he quickly wiped the sleep from his eyes, a melodic giggle let him know that everything was fine. With his vision half blurred he could just about make out the shape of Azrielle, cooking something atop the fireplace. As he sat himself up properly, stretching his legs and continuing to rub his eyes, he realised she was still completely nude. Glancing down he realised he was too, feeling a tad self conscious but quickly finding himself distracted as Azrielle yelped once more. She hissed in frustration at the frying pan as she took a step back, scowling and sucking her finger as she waved a spatula about in the other.

"_Did you hurt yourself?"_ Henry asked with concern, trying and failing to stifle a yawn as he body continued to wake up fully. Azrielle nodded, her cheeks dark with embarrassment and frustration as she continued to suck on her fingertip. She removed the finger long enough to speak, a hiss like sizzle sounding out from the frying pan as she did so.

"_Azrielle is cooking bacon for her oovatyal but it keeps spitting and burning!"_ She exclaimed in frustration, hissing back defiantly at the sputtering slabs of meat. Henry sighed with a tired smile upon his face as he got to his feet, walking behind the Az'kel and wrapping her arms about her waist. He leaned down slightly to press her face next to hers, kissing her cheek gently as he peered into the frying pan. What once was a bemused smirk turned into hearty laughter as he saw what it was she was cooking.

The rashers of bacon themselves looked to be coming along nicely, if cut a little too thick. What tickled the woodcutter however was the half an onion sizzling alongside it. Azrielle pouted at him as he tried to contain his laughter, squeezing her tummy slightly as he held her close. He took the spatula from her hand gently, placing it in the frying pan as he placed himself between her and the spitting meat and began to put his clothes on. As he wiped a tear from his eye, Azrielle crossed her arms across her chest and tapped her tail against the floorboards expectantly.

"_What is the funny?"_ The sun-kissed woman asked, beginning to feel self conscious about her cooking abilities. Henry shook his head, not wanting to start today off on the wrong foot.

"_First of all, thank you for trying to cook us some breakfast, that was very sweet of you"_ Henry complimented in a gentle tone of voice that made Azrielle feel like she might melt. Her tail rattled out loudly and she beamed with pride at him, placing her hands on her hips. She had wanted to give something back to the compassionate man taking her into his care, and to prove to him that she was not completely useless. So far from home and struggling to adapt to a strange new culture and living situation had been rough on her self confidence, having sorely taken for granted how consistent her life was before her capture. Nevertheless, never one to shy away from a challenge, she desired to learn these new skills like cooking and using the crossbow to the best of her ability.

"_You are very welcome, handsome"_ Azrielle cooed back, lifting her tail and using the arrowhead tip to playfully brush under his chin. "_How did I do?"_ She asked eagerly, standing on her tiptoes and craning her neck to look over his shoulder, gazing with hungry eyes at the glistening meat. With his trousers and shirt on, he felt adequately protected from any potential splashes of heated grease and so began to gently stir and flip the bacon about to ensure an even cook. This was evidently not something the Az'kel had been doing, as one side was beginning to look more like charcoal than it was bacon. Azrielle wrapped her arms about his waist, her breasts pressing firmly against his back as she leaned eagerly forward to watch his movements. Her tongue was sticking out from between her lips slightly, the cooking process capturing her complete concentration.

"_So the meat needs to be flipped so it cooks evenly on both sides, otherwise it gets a little black and burnt like this, see?"_ Henry explained, squinting slightly as the meat hissed and spat a splattering of heated fat onto his wrist, which he quickly brushed aside. Azrielle hissed back, though much quieter than when she'd done it in frustration, cracking a smile at her own silliness. Henry grimaced from the slight burn, smiling once more as his companion hissed, prodding her lightly with his elbow to get her to pay attention.

"_Got it, yes. But why does it spit! Very fighty for food."_ She surmised, shying away from the pan as Henry pressed the bacon down with the spatula causing a fresh burst of heated water and oils. Azrielle acted fast, raising her thick armoured tail up and around the lumberjack, protecting him from the scalding liquids. Henry flinched as the colossal shape moved with surprising speed in front of him, raising an eyebrow as Azrielle seemed to not react to her tail being sprayed with hot juices. He patted her tail reassuringly, getting her to move it aside so that he could keep cooking.

"_Well, it's got a lot of fat and water in it which when it gets hot goes all bubbly and… well everywhere if you're not careful. So… no cooking this naked from now on, Ok Azrielle?"_ He added with a smirk, a blushing but understanding nod from the petite woman who still seemed to be comfortable stood without clothes. Henry paused for a moment, thinking of how best to address the onion in the room as Azrielle used her tail end to prod at and attempt to flip the steadily sizzling meat.

"_So… hmm. Want me to show you how my father used to make onions? There's an extra special secret kept only for the Embers' household_." He began, scooping the half an onion up and out of the pan onto the plate sat beside it she had used to cut the onion in half previously. He looked to Azrielle out of the corner of her eye, thankful to see her expression full of excitement and wonder rather than bashful at her mistake, just as he had hoped. She studied his movements carefully as he picked up the cooking knife and set to work dicing the vegetable. As he chopped, he handed the spatula to the eager woman to allow her to tend to the bacon as he worked, having her put on his coat to protect her from the worst of the spitting.

After dicing the onion and praising Azrielle on her careful bacon flipping, he dumped the fistfull of onion chunks into the frying pan producing an almighty sizzle. As he lifted and stirred the pan waiting for the onions to brown, he got the excitable woman to sit down safe from any stray splashes, thanking her once more for preparing this meal for them. They chatted back and forth about how she hadn't done too badly for her first time cooking, and how amazing bacon tasted, noticing the woman practically drooling as she inhaled the intoxicating smell deeply through her nostrils. After what felt like hours of eager anticipation for the Az'kel, but a measly 15 minutes for the considerably more patient cook, he plated their meals and sat down next to the horned woman.

Azrielle made a conscious effort to eat less ravenously than before, her tail practically vibrating as she slowly made her way through the first crisp rasher. It was more well done than last night's, making a mental note to cook it for less time tomorrow morning and impress Henry with her newly obtained cooking skills. Henry watched her plate closely as he himself tucked into his breakfast, noticing her picking the bacon out from between the onion pieces. He shook his head with a smirk, wondering if he should even bother cooking her vegetables in the future. Regardless, the joy this humble meal brought to her was satisfying in itself, and he'd cook her all the bacon she wanted if it meant being able to see that sweet smile every morning. Something was off though, and it took until his third piece of bacon for him to realise.

"_How come you're not straddling me?"_ He inquired, a sudden blush appearing on his partner's face.

"_Henry said that it was different so… don't want to make you uncomfortable"_ She admitted shyly, wanting to try her hardest to adapt to the human customs presented to her. Henry however felt the complete opposite way. Anything she could do to make herself feel more at ease and instill some semblance of normality was something he wanted to encourage. After all, he was beginning to grow fond of the intimacy and wasn't about to say no to having her thighs around him once more. He held out his hand for her to take, shooting her a warm smile. She took it gladly, and was pulled gently onto his lap where they finished their breakfast facing one another.

After clearing up and making sure the fire was properly fuelled, not to mention convincing Azrielle to put her dress back on, Henry decided it was about time they set off for the day. Cautiously opening the door, he was pleased to find it still early morning. There was little in the way of noise beyond the chirp of songbirds and creak of trees on the wind and the quiet babble of some nearby stream that was not audible the night before due to the bustle and merriment of the traders staying here. Checking that the coast was clear, he took Azrielle by the hand and let her stretch her legs and take in their surroundings. She gazed up in awe at the towering mound of tree-covered rock before them, having to crane her neck to attempt to see the peak due to their proximity to the mountain itself. _Stickleback mountains_, she repeated to herself quietly.

There were mountains near her home, so the large looming shape was not something new for her. However the peaks surrounding her here were foreign to her, cold and inhospitable, dotted with pine trees and thick snow in equal measures. These were not at all like the comforting orange-red shapes that dotted the horizon back home. The sheer size and steepness of the incline before her began to make her feel dizzy and make her heart beat fast, so she turned her attention from the scenery to the carts and carriages dotted around the gravel clearing. Most of them It seemed were empty, their owners undoubtedly having spent the night at one of the numerous squat inns that dotted the base of the mountain. A few larger carts did have wistful streams of smoke escaping them however, signalling that the owners may very much still be inside. Beginning to feel acquainted with her surroundings, the Az'kel woman rounded the front of the carriage and a spike of panic pierced her chest briefly as she saw that the horses were missing.

Remembering that Henry had taken them someplace safe the night before, she breathed a sigh of relief, before approaching Henry once more who was crouched in the underbrush just beside the treeline that marked the start of the mountain. She approached slowly, hugging the blanket close to her body with her powerful tail. He had taken the knife from his belt and dug into the snow slightly with it, and seemed to be cutting at something partially buried beneath the snow.

"_What is it you have found?"_ Azrielle asked curiously, wondering if perhaps he had located some animal or another in the brief moment she had explored the outside of the carriage. Henry looked over his shoulder at her with the biggest grin she'd yet seen from the rather stoic woodcutter, beckoning her over quickly with a few waves of his hand. Her excitement peaked and she trotted through the powdered snow and gingerly crouched beside him, eyes wide with wonder and curiosity. She watched as he severed the stem of some long frozen plant, previously buried beneath the snow completely, holding the ice-like stem in his hands. It looked to be some kind of flower, with eight pear shaped buds each about the size of a chestnut. Azrielle watched in fascination as Henry carefully removed each of these frozen buds from the plant and held them in the palm of his hand as he grinned at them.

"_Do you know what these are?"_ He asked excitedly, taking one of his gloves off and passing it to Azrielle to put on, not wanting to hand her them to look at without her wearing one due to how blisteringly cold they were. She put the glove on as he gently placed them in her hand, pressing one between her fingers and surprised to find it as hard as rock.

"_No, we do not have these in Vastreshi forest"_ Azrielle informed, holding the dark green frozen buds up to her nose and sniffing them, finding no discernible scent beyond the musty smell of the leather she was wearing. Henry beamed at her, overjoyed to have found something so special to share with her.

"_These plants are rare they-"_

"_Rare?"_

"_They uh… they are hard to find"_

"_Oh! Rare, Ok~"_

"_These are called Bastard-blooms, in the fleeting warmer months these flowers would all open up to reveal large iridescent petals like spilled lantern oil. The name however, comes from the fierce barbs that sprout along the stem, embedding themselves into any exposed skin foolish enough to brush up against them. You can either tear the plant off or leave it to wilt for a day before it detaches itself on its own. In anycase, they sting like a bastard and so they got their name!"_ Henry explained, chuckling to himself as he realised how much he sounded like his father who had explained this very thing to him many years ago. Azrielle now seemed apprehensive about holding the flower buds however, eagerly placing them back into Henry's hand.

"_Azrielle has never seen a flower before, it sounds colourful and very special, yes"_ Azrielle remarked, trying her hardest to picture what these dull green rock-like sprouts might look like once fully grown. She sighed, shivering as the cold began to get to her, wishing she had been here in the warmer months to see them for herself. Henry beamed at her, placing a warm arm around her as he stood up and began walking her back to the carriage. He pocketed the flower buds, not wanting them to warm up in the toasty interior and spoil the surprise.

"_I'll show you later when we stop for lunch, does that sound good?"_ Henry asked slyly, an immediate excited gasp from the Az'kel as she wrapped her arms around his waist, wondering how he was going to get the flowers to bloom. Though she pestered him for an explanation, not wanting to wait to find out, Henry kept his secret safe wanting to surprise her once they'd gotten somewhere more private and less risky. Azrielle sat herself down and retrieved her diary, beginning to scribble and sketch in the ledger as Henry excused himself to go and gather the horses.

Entering the stable it dawned on him that keeping the horses well fed might be harder than he'd hoped. As long as they were in the north the ground would be frozen and snow covered, leaving little in the way of vegetation to eat. He assumed there would be better grazing grounds to the south, though that didn't exactly help them in the meantime. As he approached Ohtyl and Handsome, both lifting their heads in acknowledgement of his presence, he noticed a younger man restocking their throughs with hay. He was a little taller than the woodcutter, adorned in the telltale acne and patchy facial hair of youth. Judging by his size, he might have just found a solution to his problem.

"_Hey there mate, could I ask you something?"_ Henry inquired, eyeing the large stack of hay near the entrance of the stable. The younger man seemed caught off guard by someone else in the stable so early, sheepishly thumbing his overalls as he stepped toward Henry.

"_Uh… I guess?"_ He muttered, a cracking inconsistent tone to his voice on the fringe of slipping into the lower tones one would expect from a man rather than a child. He wore a burlap-like overalls and beneath was a moth-eaten tan coloured shirt, with sack cloth trousers severely frayed through use around his ankles. _Perfect_, Henry thought to himself.

"_Yeah I was wondering how much for a bale of hay? Do you sell them here?"_ Henry asked, patting Ohtyl reassuringly as he began to untie their reigns from the post they were fastened to. The teenager rubbed his chin as he mulled the question over.

"_I'd uh… I'd probably have to ask…"_ He remarked, turning to look towards the closest inn, dreading the thought of having to go and wake up his mother so early. Henry nodded his head, holding both horses by the reigns.

"_Oh yeah I totally get that. Gotta ask the bossman, right? Well, how about I save you the trouble and offer you a trade I think you'll find more than fair."_ Henry asked, trying his best to sound sincere as to not come across as some kind of swindler or conman. The teenager looked him up and down for a moment, his eyebrows raised and seeming to mull something over.

"_I'm uh... I'm into women, sir."_ The teenager sheepishly replied, shifting on his feet a little. Henry looked back at it puzzled, swiftly shaking his head and apologising, clearly having mistaken him as propositioning the stable hand.

"_No, not that! I am too- into women I mean b-but anyway I uh… I meant clothes! Just… wait there and I'll go get them!"_ Henry managed, glowing red in the face and turning with his horses and leading them back to the carriage. Tying them up and popping his head through the door to let Azrielle know they were back and to hand him the slaver's spare clothes. He kissed her tenderly on the cheek before heading back, leaving her wondering why he had been so beet red in the face. The stable hand, who was now beginning to sweep some of the muck out of the main area, leaned on the handle of his broomstick as he saw Henry approached.

"_I had these spare clothes lying around, brother of mine passed and they don't fit me so I've been meaning to get rid of them."_ He held the clothes out towards the teen, who took them and began to look over the three pairs of trousers and three smart white linen shirts.

"_They're… they're all different sizes"_ The stable hand remarked, shooting Henry an inquisitive look as he began holding the shirts up to his chest to see how well they'd fit.

"_Yes well some of them are a bit older from when he was still growing so…"_

"_... he got the exact same style every time? These are all identical"_

"_Yeah well, he knew what he liked I guess!"_

"_Hm. Maybe a tad fancy for my tastes…"_ The teen remarked, having never owned clothing similar in style nor material to these.

"_Ah but fancy is good, you wear that around here and the ladies will know you're important, good for getting attention if you know what I'm saying"_ Henry pressed, never having been very good at bartering and really just wanting to get rid of them and get going. The teenager nodded slowly, not wishing to admit that he was in fact into men, but that battered and bruised looking mid twenties men weren't exactly his type.

"_Yeah I guess, I could let you take four hay bales for one of these pairs but… well the other two don't fit me so..." _He tried to hand the two remaining pairs back, but Henry held his hands up and shook his head.

"_You keep them, I'm sure you got some brothers or friends who might like them. That or you could even trade them yourself, I'm sure there's plenty of folks passing through here that could use an extra change of clothes."_ Henry pressed, not wanting to have them lying around the carriage taking up space and bringing back bad memories any longer, nor the hassle of trying to trade them away again in the future. They shook on it, and despite the young man's insistence of helping him, Henry slowly brought the hay bales back one at a time to the outside of the carriage. Enlisting Azrielle's help, her strong tail able to make light work of the large rectangular blocks of horse feed, the bales were lifted up onto the roof of the cart. A decorative trim along the top of the cart meant that the bales were nicely held in place, and he wouldn't have to worry about them falling off anytime soon.

Before they could leave however, the spritely Az'kel insisted on giving their steeds some fuss. Henry kept a lookout for her, ensuring no prying eyes might spot her, unsure as to how most might react to her kind. Meanwhile, both horses now comfortable around the strange horned woman, were more than happy for her to pet their thick shaggy manes. Henry made the mistake of mentioning that horses could be ridden as well as used to pull carts, and subsequently had to promise that when they got south he'd teach her how to ride one. He'd tried explaining that a saddle, stirrups and other equipment were needed and that though he'd ridden one once before, he was far from an expert. Azrielle seemed optimistic that they would be able to source some however, admitting that her fellow Az'kel likely lacked the equipment as she'd never seen a horse in their lands, let alone with someone riding one. Satisfied that she had now properly caught up with the horses, she retreated back into the warm interior, pulling Henry in for one last passionate kiss before they set off.

Climbing up into the rider's seat, it was surprisingly hard work to navigate through the countless parked carts back on to the main road, an unfortunate byproduct of having set up camp so far back and out of view. Nevertheless, as the sun began to rise up over the distant mountains, they began their ascent. For Azrielle this was exciting indeed, with every lurch and turn of the cart carrying her closer to home. For Henry the ordeal with as terrifying as it was disheartening. The lane snaking its way up the mountain was wide enough for a steady stream of carts to be heading down at the same time as those heading up, but only just. There were more than a few times when Henry was sure the well flattened dirt would crumble away, sending the cart careening off of the steep rise and into the trees far below, though thankfully no such thing happened. It was disheartening however, as he watched the land he'd known and grown up in get further and further from view, edging nearer and nearer the peak where he would enter lands completely unknown to him.

Was he really prepared for the journey ahead? Was there not someone more well travelled that could aid her? Was there even anyone he could trust to perform such a task? He felt panic begin to set in to his chest, gripping the reins with white knuckles once more as he rounded the last turn before cresting the mountain. Turning one last time to look out over the land below them, he noticed in the very distance two little bumps on the horizon that marked the town of Lampveller: his home. For a moment his eyes focused on the distant mounds and he found himself yearning for the quiet familiarity of his cabin. He ached for his bed, his usual drinking spot, even the mundane routine of heading out with his axe to fell a few trees. It took a moment to rouse himself from the homesickness clouding his mind, even as they reached the zenith of the Stickleback mountain range, the land before them coming into view as they began their descent.

To his surprise, these lands unfamiliar to him looked much the same as the last. There was still snow covering most of the landscape, still the same tall pines, still the same fresh morning air. The similarity helped to quell his fears of unpreparedness, realising that it would still be some time before they left the familiar boreal forests and mountainous region of the north, and that he would have plenty of time to acclimatize to life on the road. Besides, he had made a promise to his passenger: his oovatyal. Realising there were no other carts on the strait of this portion of the descent, he knocked hard on the wall of the cart behind him.

"_Hey, if you peak your head outside you can have a look at where we're going, we're at the very top now"_ Henry remarked, hearing an excited rattle from her tail as she made her way to the door and gingerly creaked one open. She gazed in awe at the landscape below them. The land had a soft amber glow courtesy of the rising son and thick reflective blanket of snow, with bright shimmering rivers that carved through the land. Directly in front of her, albeit a few miles away, was a thick plume of what looked to be steam. Squinting, she was able to pick out buildings and roadways leading in and out of the large looking settlement.

"_What's with all the __**ignal-aq'wey**__?" _Azrielle asked, an immediate frustrated grunt as she tried to think of the correct word but realised she didn't know it in human-tongue just yet.

"_All of the uh… fire water? Warm water smoke? Mmm…"_ She flailed her arms about, certain humans must have a word for it.

"_You mean the steam?"_ Henry asked, a delighted gasp from the Az'kel behind him followed by her repeating the word 'steam' repeatedly to herself, committing it to memory.

"_Well, I've not been there before but that's the city of Pineholme. That's actually where my dad was from. He said there's lots of heated water from deep underground that bubbles up to the surface there. Right in the middle is a big old lake of the stuff, with houses on stilts sat above it so they're heated all year long."_ Henry continued for a while relaying what he knew of the 'capital of the north', that it was a commerce centre where most large companies operated from, and that though the lands to the far south were far wealthier, this was where the wealthiest of the north lived. All the while Azrielle watched the enormous iridescent steam cloud with wonder.

"_Does Henry think maybe Az'kel could live there? Would maybe be warm enough?"_ The curious woman inquired, looking down the mountain side and beginning to experience some vertigo at how steep the descent was. Henry scratched his chin as he thought of what to say. He had heard rumours of some wealthy individuals keeping Az'kel as slaves as a form of status symbol, a piece of living art to flaunt and parade about. He grimaced, wondering if perhaps whoever had intended on purchasing Azrielle in Lampveller had gotten the idea after visiting Pineholme.

"_I think it could be possible, maybe. It's still awful cold even with a house close to the steam. You'd have to have someone like me to go out and fetch things for you!"_ He joked, wanting to keep the conversation light. Azrielle giggled, rather fancying the idea of being tucked away in some sauna-like abode and sending people out to fetch tasty things for her.

"_I have you already, silly~"_ Azrielle teased, her tail rattling as she was once again reminded of just how lucky she was to have him as her oovatyal.

"_And what is that way?"_ Azrielle asked, sticking her tail out of the door and moving it nearer to Henry, gesturing with the tip to the far east.

"_That's where the land meets the sea, according to that map of yours."_ Henry began, the tail disappearing as Azrielle darted towards the under seat storage, retrieving the map and poking her head out of the door once more.

"_Yes yes it is the… Azrielle cannot read the name"_ She admitted sheepishly, realising that written Human was much more difficult than spoken Human.

"_It's the Frost-gouged coast, bordering the waveless sea. Know why they call it that?"_ Henry asked, leaning over to look around the side of the cart and smiling as he watched the dark skinned woman shake her head from side to side.

"_They call it that because it's almost always frozen, and when the tide comes in big chunks of ice crash into the cliff sides and take bits of it with them. Merchants sometimes travel along the cliffs at the top from what I've heard, so it must be a fairly popular trade route."_ Henry explained, Azrielle craning her neck and squinting in the hopes of spotting the sea on the horizon to no avail.

"_Even bigger ice chunks than the one we saw?"_ Azrielle asked quizzically, receiving a chuckle from the wood cutter.

"_Yep, even bigger than that. I'm told there are some as big as entire towns!" _Henry remarked, an astounded gasp escaping his companions lips, struggling to imagine such huge ice formations. After a moment or two of looking back down at the map in her hands, she looked towards the front of the wagon towards the far western horizon, the distant foggy shapes of mountains much taller than this one faintly visible.

"_And over there?"_ She asked inquisitively, seeing nothing but mountains on the map.

"_Those are the 'Peaks of promise' as folks around here call them, though they're unnamed on that map of yours."_ Henry remarked, raising an eyebrow as he anticipated a question, which Azrielle quickly shot back at him with.

"_Why are they called that? Do they promise things?"_ Azrielle asked, seemingly completely serious given her sincere tone of voice.

"_Well… no. Not deliberately, anyway. From what I know of them from one of the books I've read, a few generations back there was a great expedition mounted by men all over the north to prospect and explore the peaks with the promise of metal and gemstones. This was all after some traveller said a mountain there blew its top and ejected it's innards which were pure steel."_ Henry explained, wishing he could have brought the book with him, having not read it in a while and being a little iffy on the details.

"_Steel? That is a uh… oh! Steel, yes."_ Azrielle began, prompting Henry to hold out the blade of his knife for her to see, anticipating that this word may be new to her. "_And did the men find many steel and gemstones?"_ Azrielle asked curiously, wondering what was so special about stones.

"_Well, sort of. From what I remember of the book they did actually find this exploded mountain, with its guts of steel strewn all about the place. In fact, my father told me that my axe was made from some of that metal and that so were most of the tools in town. However in the years after that steel supply ran dry, many men spent decades toiling away and digging into the sides of the surrounding mountains, disappointed to find only rock and hardships. So that's how they got the name, people sought them out for the promise of riches, though found those promises empty."_ Henry continued, not knowing how much of this was historically accurate and how much was embellished just for the sake of an entertaining read. Azrielle bit her lip as she looked nervously down at the mountain they were currently on top of.

"_Azrielle hopes this mountain does not exploded…"_ She commented nervously, leaning out slightly to look further down the winding track. Upon seeing a cart round the corner and start moving towards them, she quickly retreated back into the interior of the carriage.

By the time the pair had made it to the bottom of the southern side of the mountain, it was almost midday. Unlike the northern side of the Stickleback ridge, there were no inns or trade posts here, just one large gravel road leading south towards Pineholme. However, Henry was still unsure as to the best route to take, and such guided the horses off of the main road amongst the conifer trees. He eagerly jumped down from the driver's seat to stretch his legs, treating the horses to a midday snack of an apple each, before catching up with Azrielle. After letting her know where they were and that they would only be stopping for a few moments, he got out the map and laid it out on the floor. He knelt next to it, with Azrielle doing the same and leaning her head against Henry's shoulder which caused him to wince slightly, reminded that she had bruised it with her horns during last night's love making session.

"_Ok so, to head south our only options really are to head straight through the big city of Pineholme, travel down and along the coast, or to make our way through the peaks of promise following this river here"_ He explained, pointing at a large winding river carving it's way through the massive spine-like row of mountains. "_I was thinking personally that we should follow that river, as I don't know that many people at all live over there and… well… it means you would be able to ride up front with me."_ Henry admitted, blushing slightly as the woman's tail immediately rattled out in elation at the thought.

"_So is safe __**and**_ _Azrielle gets to spend more time with her oovatyal? This sounds like the best option, yes."_ Azrielle decided confidently. Despite her curiosity as to the houses on stilts above steam-filled basins and ice chunks so big you could build a town on them; she knew she wouldn't have been able to see much of either without risk of being seen.

"_Good, I was leaning towards that option too. I'll start taking us west then, I might not be able to find a track so it might get a bit bumpy. Once we're safe enough away I'll boil up some water and we can see to getting you ready to ride up front with me"_ Henry reassured, Azrielle nuzzling against his arm and nodding eagerly, planting a tender kiss against his cheek.

Henry climbed back up to the rider's seat and travelled further south down the road. After an hour or so of travel, beginning to doubt there was a path leading towards the mountains and that they might have to travel offroad, he eventually happened upon one. It was extremely narrow, with dried pine needles and snow covering it completely. In fact, he might have just mistaken it for a gap in the trees were it not for a squat weather worn sign labelled 'Peaks 'o promise'.

Heading down the winding snow covered track, feeling as if he were just perusing through the forest itself as none of the track was actually visible. It became immediately apparent that this trail had long since fallen into disuse as after only half an hour or so they came across a large fallen cedar tree completely blocking the path forward. He sighed, a nibble of anxiety beginning to brew at the back of his mind as they had travelled further and further from civilisation. _Well, I guess this is as good a spot as any to stop,_ he pondered, finding his legs to be shaking slightly as he climbed down from the cart and glanced nervously about at the empty snow covered forest. He'd never been far from people, knowing that if anything went wrong there would be people to help close by. But out here... Upon opening the carriage door and immediately feeling his partner's arms around him however, his anxieties seemed to wash away, much like feeling began to wash back into his extremities as he entered the warm interior.

"_Alright so, there's a tree blocking our way that I'll probably need your help to move since you're much stronger than I am"_ Henry commented, a proud ever so slightly smug smile appearing on the Az'kel's lips as she nodded knowingly. "_But before that, we need to boil up some water. Could you pass me that big pot we have?"_ Henry asked, a questioning but excited look on her face as she quickly bent down to open up the storage space. Try as he might, the lumberjack's eyes were drawn to the woman's shapely rear, fully exposed beneath the frilly cut of her dress lifted by her thick tail. Though she had indulged him in wearing her dress earlier, rather than remaining nude all day, she had apparently neglected to also wear her panties. As of this moment however, the man had no complaints, blissfully unaware of the sun-kissed woman smirking as she spied him watching her out of the corner of her eye.

After a needlessly long time rummaging, swaying her hips from side to side subtly enough so as to not arouse suspicion that she knew what he was up to, she stood back up with the large brass pot in her hand. Henry thanked her, holding it conspicuously in front of his trousers as he leaned down to kiss her forehead, stepping outside to quickly fill it with fresh fallen snow. Setting it atop the fireplace where the snow began to melt immediately. Rather than just sit idly while they wait, he asked if she was ready to move the tree, receiving an enthusiastic nod as he helped her to bundle herself up in her blanket. Leading her outside, Azrielle twirled around looking with wonder at the quiet forest.

"_It is so peaceful here! This is a very good place, yes."_ Azrielle concluded, smiling sweetly at Henry who could no longer remember why he had ever felt fearful here.

"_It's nice, isn't it. Apart from this pesky tree"_ Henry joked, kicking snow towards the problematic lumber.

"_How are we doing for firewood?"_ Henry asked, fiddling with the buckle securing his axe to his belt.

"_Azrielle has used half of Henry's bag, still plenty of logs left from our wood hunting~"_ Azrielle cooed, taking great pride in having helped Henry to collect yesterday's lumber, enjoying being able to help where she could.

"_No need to chop this one up then. You are spared the axe today, my friend"_ Henry continued, patting the fallen tree with a playful smirk causing a bubbly melodic giggle from the Az'kel, leaning herself against Ohtyl who seemed to chuff in response to the delightful sound. She brought a hand up out of the blanket to pat his side gently, leaning in as she spoke to him, keeping her eyes on Henry.

"_Your Pateryl is very silly, yes"_ She informed the horse, who in response turned his head to nibble playfully at her blanket.

"_Pateryl? You've said that before but I didn't get the chance to ask what it means."_ Henry admitted, his cheeks growing a little rosier than from cold alone, recalling how he had been silenced with a kiss the last time. Azrielle walked away from the horses and towards Henry, standing uncomfortably close as she tended to, looking up at him with her wide emerald eyes as she spoke.

"_It means father, Henry is a good father to his horse children, yes."_ She teased, using her tail to wrap around the taller man and pull him into a gentle hug, as she preferred to keep her arms nice and tucked inside her blanket where they were warm.

"_What does that make you then?"_ Henry asked, raising a curious eyebrow at the sun-kissed woman. Azrielle smirked, enjoying the interest he showed in learning her language.

"_Azrielle is their __**Materyl**__, mother. Is similar, yes?"_ She chimed sweetly, standing on her tiptoes to get her face closer to Henry's. It was odd to him that for their languages sounding so different at a glance, there certainly did seem to be similarities to his own. However, this was only an afterthought. At the forefront of his mind was how sensual she sounded speaking her mother tongue, how she would roll the 'r' sounds and give every word a flourish of passion. Given their situation he tried not to dwell on it, but the confidence with which she spoke and exotic nature of the sounds leaving her mouth made him just a little crazy for her. Azrielle turned to look over her shoulder at the horses, laughing before turning back to Henry.

"_Actually, Handsome is __definitely_ _your son more than mine, yes."_ She remarked, unable to wipe a playful smirk from her lips as she spoke. The woodcutter looked up from the beauty before him and laughed hard as Handsome came into view, stood with his tongue hanging dumbly from the side of his mouth as he stared at the two of them.

"_That's just cruel, don't be mean to my child like that! He's much better looking than his da-... than his pateryl" _Henry shot back jovially, his lover's tail rattling out as he opted to use the Az'kel term, finding himself prodded in the ribs by her tail tip playfully as she planted a gentle kiss upon his cheek.

"_Let us move this tree then, so that our children may continue their walk!"_ Azrielle insisted, taking position near the middle of the trunk, beginning to feel the cold about her unprotected horns. Henry leapt over the fallen tree, gripping the trunk with both hands and beginning to lift. He was pleased to find his back complained significantly less than the day before, finally beginning to heal from his scuffle. Though he strained and struggled to lift the tree, Azrielle seemed completely unphased as her tail effortlessly lifted the tree and aided him in moving it to the side enough for the cart to pass. Setting it down with a dull snow muffled thud, Azrielle rattled her tail in celebration and skipped over to Handsome telling him how they had cleared the way for them. Henry suspected it was much more her handiwork than it was his however, shaking his head as Handsome nibbled gently one one of her horns, making an odd snorting sound. He decided something was not right with that horse, but Azrielle seemed to adore him nonetheless.

Over the next few minutes, Henry ferried armful after armful of snow into the carriage and into the pot, until they had a bubbling boiling pot full of water. Azrielle watched the water with slight concern, never having had a need to boil water in her homeland. Henry wrapped one arm around her waist, squeezing her gently in anticipation of her reaction to what he had in store for her. He took the still frozen flower buds from his coat pocket, holding them above the water and dropping them in one by one. The Az'kel watched in astonishment as the flowers slowly unfurled into floating star-like shapes of iridescent red. She bounced on the spot slightly, curling her tail around Henry's leg as she gripped his top with her hands.

"_So pretty! Did Henry trick them to think it was warm weather with the water?"_ The excitable woman inquired, prompting an affirmative nod from her lover, even though he thought her phrasing was a little odd.

"_That's not the best part though, just you wait"_ Henry teased, an excited shimmering of her heavy armour plates making his leg tingle as if from pins and needles. He managed to get the fascinated woman to sit down as he retrieved the last of the tough meat sticks, handing her four and keeping two for himself. This was the first time since he'd met her that her attention was not on the meat she was eating, instead eyeing the splendorous multi-coloured petals bobbing about in the simmering water as the water itself began to steadily darken into a rich crimson colour. A pleasant smell similar to cinnamon and peppermint filled the interior of the carriage, with Henry adding a few pinches of sugar from the assorted spices and seasonings they'd been fortunate enough to have.

As Azrielle finished up her tough sticks of jerky Henry asked for her waterskin, emptying its contents outside before filling it up with the flowery still steaming tea. He handed it back to his oovatyal, warning her to take care as it was still piping hot, advising her to sip it slowly. The Az'kel took a moment to just appreciate the alluring scent emanating from the peach coloured liquid, watching in fascination as the some of the iridescent shine of the flowers now shimmered on the surface of the brew. For Henry the flask was much too hot to hold for very long at all lest he burn himself, but for the desert dwelling woman the heat was pleasant and comforting. With his encouragement, eager to see what she'd make of it, she took a tentative sip.

Her tail rattled out almost immediately, a satisfied noise of contentment sounding out from her mouth as the comforting brew met her tongue. For someone who had spent her whole life eating the same food, with the occasional dried fish for celebrations, the taste was near indescribable. Henry however, having tasted a wider array of foodstuffs than his carnivorous partner, had a nice nickname for it he found rather fitting.

"_We used to call it the 'bakery in a cup' back home, it's sweet and a little gingery, with hints of cinnamon and vanilla and…" _Henry trailed off, watching the woman clutch the waterskin against her chest before taking a large swig and moaning sensually as she did so. Her tail rattled out once more causing Henry to grin, surprised to find her excitement for the tea to be very close to that of tasting bacon for the first time.

"_This is so good! Azrielle likes this bakery in a cup __**very**_ _much!"_ She chimed, nuzzling up against Henry with the flask between them, enjoying the combined warmth as she sipped at it eagerly once more.

"_Just 'tea' is probably easier, but I'm glad you like it! So, you can keep that one with you to drink from while you travel and then this one" _Henry continued, lifting his flask which was now full to the brim with the dark sweet tasting tea. "_This one you can keep under your blanket to keep you nice and warm while you travel up front with me. Sound good?"_ He inquired, fervent nodding from his lover in response. After taking the time to bundle her up once more in her thick linen blanket, placing the fur pelt atop the driver's seat for her to sit on and wearing Henry's gloves after some insistence, she was sat up at the front of the carriage alongside her lover for the first time in their journey.

With one flask wrapped close against her bosom and the other nestled between them both, even the steady flurry of snowflakes landing upon her horns was not enough to to make her feel the cold. Seeing her excitement, and wanting to help to teach her new skills that might help her, Henry passed her the reins and helped her to drive the cart forward as it trundled along the snow covered trail. Soon enough though and the fast learning woman was able to manage by herself, allowing Henry to keep a close eye out for any sign of danger or civilisation. Other than the sound of wheels and hooves against snow, a distant woodpecker and the babble of some unseen stream nearby, their voices were the only sounds in this pleasantly quiet forest.

The pair found themselves talking constantly, relieved to finally be able to spend a good chunk of time together and completely infatuated with each other. Azrielle always had something new she wanted to know about Henry, showing particular interest in the books he'd read and the history of his town and heritage. As far as heritage went he had little of note to tell her other than that his family had owned his squat log cabin for at least 4 generations and were among some of the first settlers to the north, and there was strikingly little to say about a town centered around logging, hunting and the occasional coal mine. Her interest became clear to him however as she revealed that in her home village she was their scribe, a position she seemed incredibly proud of and was pleased to find Henry was interested in. She explained that it fell to her to keep track of things of note, whether that be weather, deaths and births, skirmishes and duels, or even just observations about village life. Henry reasoned that this was undoubtedly why her handwriting was so neat, and sheepishly admitted that he himself was terrible at writing and had scarce little practice beyond scratching out his name on parchment when registering himself at a lumberyard. Azrielle kissed him tenderly on the cheek, promising to teach him some day.

As they travelled further and further along the path, the distant peaks of promise became gradually less distant, looking as if they may even reach the river winding its way throughout them by nightfall. Despite the occasional fallen tree blocking the path, which Azrielle was more than capable of handling deftly and seemingly effortlessly with her monstrous tail, they were making good time. The Az'kel seemed to be enjoying her proximity to her lover more thoroughly than the scenery however, having shifter herself several times until finally settling sat sideways with her legs over Henry's lap. Her tail hung lazily behind her off of the cart, the tip dragging along the snow and occasionally flicking upwards sending a splash of snow into the treeline. It was when one such haphazard snowball impacted something with a dull metallic thud however, that both of them sat up straight in alarm. Henry took the reins and guided the horses into a stop, peering into the forest but seeing nothing obvious that could have made such a sound.

Deciding to investigate, the pair climbed off of the cart with Henry keeping his hand on the hilt of his hunting knife and Azrielle clinging to his back with one hand and her hot water bottle with the other; her tail hovered up over his shoulder protectively, much like a scorpion ready to strike. As they gingerly stepped off of the path and into the treeline, the rusted bulk of some upturned metallic cart, smattered with snow and facing away from them. He'd seen metal transports such as these before coming to and from one of the smaller mines near Lampveller, he assumed they were preferable to the wooden variety as they could support vastly more weight and needed little maintenance. Rounding the cart which they now realised was standing up on it's side, Henry guessed this was some long lost relic from the rush to mine these mountains many years ago.

Though Henry was content to leave the wreck where it lay, conscious of time and wanting to at least find the river before sundown, Azrielle began to curiously root around in the ankle deep snow just beyond the upturned cart. It took a matter of moments before her tail contacted something heavy, bending down and using her gloved hands to shovel snow off of the concealed object. As she brushed the snow away, the powder in direct contact with the object turned a dirty looking mud brown, mimicking the rusted lump it had settled upon. Henry crouched down beside her, looking the object over. Sure enough, it was a roughly oblong shaped hunk of twisted metal, smooth in some places and jagged and gnarled in others.

"_Well would you look at that, I guess that old story had some truth to it because I'm willing to bet this is a chunk of that mountain that blew its top!"_ Henry marvelled, childlike wonder in his eyes as he scraped more snow off of the boulder-like hunk of warped metal to get a closer look at it. Though he was far from an expert on mining and metal work, it seemed oddly processed to him. From what he'd seen of the occasional wagon full of coal or metallic ores, they looked more like rocks than they did lumps of metal. But there were no rocks at all on this bulky mass, seemingly just abrasive orange-red metal all the way through. Azrielle ran the tip of her tail against it, tracing strange vein-like raised tracks that ran across its surface. Truth be told it reminded her of home a little, having a strikingly similar hue to the cluster of mountains near her village.

Though Henry wished to keep a piece of this strange lump of rust and history, after spending a few moments rooting through the snow for a smaller piece, he eventually gave up and decided it was best they move on despite his child-like excitement. As they got back onto the cart and got moving once more, Azrielle seemed to cuddle him much closer than before. She was still talkative though her voice was a little quieter now, the encounter having left her somewhat homesick. Henry could sense this subtle shift in her demeanor and so tried his best to carry the conversation, telling her all about the birds they spotted darting amongst the trees and other wildlife that roamed these lands. Azrielle seemed particularly taken by the description of the snow bear he had once seen, brought into town as a hunting trophy from some nobleman and his group. Henry had lost count of the arrows embedded in it's shoulders and face, wondering how any creature could suffer so much damage and keep moving. Even though Henry described it's claws as being the size of his axe head, and it's body over twice his height, Azrielle seemed sure that she would be able to fend off such a threat if she needed to.

Honestly, despite her petite frame, Henry was inclined to believe her. The more he learned of her curious race and exotic culture, the more it sounded like fighting was a way of life for them. Though the way she described battles between Az'kel, she made it sound like it was an act of great grace and encapsulating beauty, viewed less as senseless violence and more like an art form. She had to emphasize several times to the woodcutter however that though such fights were very real, they were never intended to seriously injure or even kill, even between members of different settlements. There seemed to be a kinship between Az'kel that Henry knew was not always the case between his fellow man, getting the sense that despite their fearsome appearance this strange race had a much greater sense of community than his own people.

That sense of community and respect for the life of one another was only extended as far as their own people, however. Azrielle explained, uncharacteristically looking away from her lover as she spoke, how anyone or anything that encroached on their territory was met with the uninhibited fury of their tails. She rubbed her arm slightly, ashamed of what she had thought of humans up until recently, trying hard not to think of how her community might react to Henry should they ever make it back in one piece. Silence lingered about them for a few minutes, Azrielle trying to figure out how she was going to approach that problem when she came to it, and Henry struggling to find the right words to say to cheer up the slightly frowning woman.

As the sun began to set, they had begun to pass by the first of the mountains making up the peaks of promise, flanked on the opposite side by the stickleback mountains they had passed over earlier in the day, they found themselves in a valley steadily curving southwards. As the pair discussed what they were going to have for dinner, Azrielle snuggling extra close to Henry as the heat of her water bottle began to fade, the Az'kel heard a familiar noise. Shooting up with excitement, she pointed just past the treeline where a large chunk of ice was steadily floating along a wide fast flowing river.

"_There, Azrielle has found the river!"_ She announced with pride, her tail shimmering and clattering against the wood of the cart which spooked the horses slightly, shaking their heads and chuffing with disapproval. Before Henry could stop her, she had hopped off of the moving cart and dashed inside of it, reappearing once more with the map held against her chest using her powerful tail to aid her jump back into the rider's seat. After studying the map intensely for a moment, the track beginning to move closer to and follow the direction of the south flowing river, she placed her finger where she guessed they were.

"_This river does not have a name? Should Azrielle name it?"_ She asked energetically, using her tail to hold the blanket closer against her body, feeling the cold more so now after momentarily experiencing the pleasant warmth of the waggon's interior for the first time in many hours.

"_Sure, though it might already have a name locally and whoever made the map just didn't know it"_ Henry explained, not knowing a lake let alone a sizable river in the north to not have a name and subsequent story explaining its name. His personal favourite of the local bodies of water was "Dead-cow bog" so called because, low and behold, there was the skeleton of a dead bovine resting at the bottom of the shallow muddy body of water. He chuckled to himself, prompting the dark-skinned woman to shoot him a suspicious look before continuing to study the water pensively. By now there was only a layer of one or two trees between the track and the free flowing water beside them, allowing a fairly clear view of the icy estuary.

After bouncing a few names off of Henry, with notable names such as "_Azrielle's cold river", "Ice river" and "Azrielle and her Oovatyal's secret icy stream of water", _Henry had to insist she take the time to sleep on it before deciding, unable to stop himself from laughing at the adorably silly suggestions. With the sun beginning to dip below the towering mountains now almost surrounded them completely, Henry decided they had made enough progress for today, daring not to risk travel in the dark so close to the river. Finding a suitable spot along the path to set up shop, little worry in Henry's mind of encountering any traffic on this small disused lane if the numerous fallen trees were anything to go off of. As Henry tied the horses to a nearby tree close enough to the river for them to drink, he placed down one of the hay bales for them to chow down on. The neighed appreciatively, with Handsome bumping sideways into the woodcutter, though whether through affection or idiocy it was near impossible to tell. Meanwhile, Azrielle had been eager to retreat to the comforting warmth of the carriage and equally eager to demonstrate her improved cooking skills.

As Henry entered the cart he was greeted to the smell of frying onion and potatoes, both diced into tiny cubes just like he had shown her. She had also sliced a few servings of ham from the large haunch, though Henry suspected perhaps she had already helped herself to some, though he hardly blamed her. She certainly had an appetite, concluding that it must take a lot out of her to swing that enormous tail of hers around. Regardless, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her all across her cheek and neck to show his appreciation, before taking out the small rack of spices and showing her how he would normally season his potatoes. In the end she had gotten a tad carried away and the paprika and pepper flakes were a little overpowering, leaving him teary eyes and coughing slightly. The tender salted ham went thoroughly appreciated by Az'kel too, experimenting with each of the spices and herbs they had to test out what went best. For someone who had never cooked or even seasoned her food before, she was incredibly eager to try new things, even trying sugar on the pinkish meat (despite Henry's protests).

Regardless, after clearing up and settling in to relax and sharing the last flask of now pleasantly cool tea between them, their spirits were high. Travelling had proven to be fairly stressful, but they were learning as they went and found comfort in each other's company. Azrielle in particular was utterly smitten by her companion, falling steadily further and further in love with the rugged yet gentle man with every passing minute. The same was true for the wood cutter of course, though being substantially more introverted than his feisty companion, he was more reserved about showing it. Azrielle took up position upon Henry's lap as she always did when craving intimacy, holding his face delicately in her soft hands as she checked over his now mostly healed cuts and bruises. This evening's topic of conversation was the lumberjack trying in vain to convince his lover that bacon and ham did in fact come from the same animal, but the spritely Az'kel was having none of it and kept playfully suggesting he was trying to trick her.

The 'argument' came to a head when Azrielle began to playfully attack Henry in an attempt to wrestle the truth from him, interlocking fingers and trying with all her might to push his hands against the seat's backrest. Henry couldn't help but laugh, able to hold her hands perfectly still as she strained and hissed, a jovial smirk upon her lips and her eyes screwed shut. The woodcutter began to advance, pushing her hands further and further back, groans, hisses and squeaks of resistance as she tried her hardest to lean forward into him, her hands pushed back to be level with her shoulders. Just as Henry felt he'd delayed long enough, ready to push her arms down against her side and declare victory in favour of pigs being a thing that exist, he felt smooth stone-like scales. Her tail was firmly wrapped around his throat, the powerful appendage coiling slowly tighter, not restricting air flow but merely threatening it.

Henry's eyes went wide, releasing his grip of her fingers slowly, knowing when he had been beaten. For a moment a flash of fear moved through his mind, caught off guard by her calculated manoeuvre and alarmed by the sudden look of hunger in her eyes. She took a moment, a smug smirk appearing upon her lips as she studied the face of her now captive.

"_Azrielle wins~"_ She announced, a husky sultry tone of voice that sent shivers up his spine. Immediately, she pounced forward pressing her lips against his, her gentle eager tongue slipping impatiently into his mouth. Her tail uncoiled from around his throat, slipping down heavily on to the floor behind her as the abruptly passionate kiss escalated quickly, Henry's hands quickly finding their way to her supple pillowy ass. Her hisses and squeaks turned to muffled moans as Henry's tongue explored her own, loving the way he handled her body. It didn't take long for the rapidly turned on Az'kel to begin grinding against him, still unaccustomed to the novelty of him already being erect without her chemical aid. After last night however, as Henry's inched closer to her steadily dampening entrance, there was only one thing on his mind.

Henry gripped her ass tight, ready to lift her up and place her on the seat opposite before getting to his knees and sampling her deliciously addictive flavour once more. He was salivating with the thought, though just as he began to move her tail shot up with alarming velocity and pressed firmly against his chest, holding him in place. She grinned knowingly at him as she gently removed his hands from her rear, getting down onto her knees before him, all the while keeping her tail still but firm against his chest. She maintained eye contact with him as she unbuckled his belt and trousers, sliding them eagerly alongside his boxers in one smooth movement to the floor. She grinned with excitement at his gently twitching cock, already a little damp with precum around the head from all the grinding and kissing.

Azrielle opened her mouth slowly, maintaining eye contact with Henry as best she could, though finding it harder and harder to keep her eyes off his member. As her mouth opened a flash of uncertainty crossed his mind, piercing through the thick fog of horniness, as he caught sight of her fangs. They were as sizable as they were sharp, and for a moment he had the urge to call the whole thing off, not willing to risk it. But as her delicate warm tongue moved up and pressed against the base of his shaft, moving slowly and deliberately up to his crown, a shudder of pleasure (and perhaps foolishness) rose up his spine and he decided to trust his oovatyal's carefulness. It was only now, as her tongue glided gently up and down his shaft, that he was able to notice just how long her tongue was. It looked to be almost twice as long as his own, causing him to moan softly and involuntarily as it swirled about his tip.

Unbeknownst to the woodcutter, Azrielle had been carefully studying his expressions to discern how best to pleasure him. She wanted to return the favour of him so skillfully and pleasurably using his tongue on her, but she had no real idea what was pleasurable for him beyond being enveloped in her tight wet walls and pressing up against the barrier to her womb. She raised an eyebrow at his moan, her tail rattling quietly behind her as she focused her attention on his head. She swirled her tongue around and under his glans, pleased by his breathing becoming shallower and his cheeks steadily more red. Emboldened by her partner's reactions, she pressed her lips against the tip tenderly, almost as if kissing it. She kept her eyes locked on him, reasoning that as he liked to be inside her, her mouth would surely work too. Henry bit his lip as he watched her lips envelop the head of his cock, steadily moving down and pushing more of his cock into her mouth.

Henry struggled to stifle another moan, feeling his sensitive head moving along her tongue towards the back of her throat, her lips about halfway down his shaft. All the while she maintained eye contact, something he found to be a little intimidating though extremely arousing. A soft moan escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, moving one hand between her thighs and beginning to rub her clit slowly. She looked back up at him, batting her eyelashes at her oovatyal as she moved her head down further. He was able to fit (almost) entirely inside of her pussy, so she wanted to simulate that as best she could with her mouth. Henry watched in amazement as her lips made their way down to the base of his cock, feeling his cock angle downwards into the surprising tightness of her throat. He shuddered once again as her tongue moved against his balls, massaging and licking them eagerly as she held the entirety of his cock inside her mouth and throat.

From what he'd heard of overly boastful drunks at the taverns he had frequented in his teenage years, this was something only a handful of women were able to do successfully. Henry had doubts that this was the case however, as the Az'kel seemed to be entirely unphased and even somewhat eager to accept him into her throat. Regardless, Azrielle wanted to provide an authentic experience, and sticking to what she knew she began bobbing her head up and down slowly much like she would with her hips. She watched in delight at the pleasured almost euphoric facial expressions of her lover, equally proud of her handiwork as she was turned on, swirling her fingertips more eagerly than before about her clit.

For several minutes Azrielle set to work pleasuring her lover, her head eagerly bobbing up and down between his legs. Thick saliva had begun to drip down his shaft from her throat, which for a moment the Az'kel had been embarrassed about, but the hunger she saw in his eyes as she watched her make a mess of herself to pleasure him was more than enough to reassure her. The taboo, unusual behaviour for her race combined with the soft masculine noises of approval from Henry was turning her on fiercely. Her thighs trembled as she got close to the edge, her pussy dripping slightly onto the floor below, struggling to bring herself to orgasm given the angle she had to work with. She preferred to feel something inside of her to stimulate her properly, and she just couldn't reach far enough back to get her fingers deep enough to satisfy. Regardless, she was in no rush, more than enjoying the slightly salty taste of her man's manhood as she pushed his cock into her throat ravenously once more.

Remembering that he had enjoyed her breasts, she tugged at the top of her dress revealing her perky mounds which bounced gently with her head movements. It wasn't long before some of the thick bubbly saliva mixed with precum began to drip onto her breasts, the sight of which quickly pushed Henry to the edge. His legs tensed and untensed, a soft "_fuck"_ escaping his lips, all that he could manage to warn her of the impending orgasm. Azrielle felt her heart skip a beat, having not decided on how best to handle his orgasm. She took his cock out of her throat in a moment of indecision, before deciding that if he had swallowed her mess she should try to swallow his. Just as his cock throbbed and pulsed, glistening with precum and saliva in the firelight, Azrielle pushed the tip back into her mouth and locked eyes with the woodsman.

As the thick hot liquid began to shoot out over her tongue, a spike of lust shot through her at the realisation of what she was doing. She moaned loudly at the taste of his lust, finding it to be salty and moreish, swallowing the first few spurts greedily. Overtaken by excitement, her fingers as deep as she could get them given her positioning, she pushed his cock a little too deep into her mouth so that most of his load was shot directly into her throat. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head slightly as she felt his heated lust surging down inside of her, filling her stomach with his delicious hot mess. As his twitching began to subside, she slowly raised her head allowing his cock to flop out of her mouth messily, greedily setting to work at licking his remaining mess from his shaft. For a moment Henry was wordless, breathing heavily from such a powerful orgasm, taking in the sight of his exotic sun-kissed lover lapping and licking his cock clean.

Pleased with the outcome of her little experiment, she removed her tail from his chest and slyly brought her fingers up to lick clean much as she had his shaft. Henry had noticed her hand movements however, and despite having climaxed, he was still very eager to have his fill of the tasty Az'kel. No sooner had she got to her feet, ready to cuddle up to Henry, had he lifted her up by the thighs and placed her down on the seat opposite. She squeaked as he did so, her tail wrapping around his back for support as she was lifted. He swiftly got to his knees and eagerly spread her legs, thankful that she had not worn her panties as he impatiently pushed his face between her thick thighs.

Azrielle moaned at once as she felt his tongue enter her drenched entrance, pressing up against her sensitive walls and pushing her that little further she needed to finally climax. Her legs spasmed and crossed against his back, her toes curling and her back arching uncontrollably as she half moaned half screamed, caught off guard by such a sudden messy climax. She gripped the fabric of the seat hard, moaning out his name as she rocked her hips against his tongue, feeling herself quivering as she filled his mouth with her delicious honey-like mess. Now it was Henry's turn to moan, craving more and more of her sweet tasting mess, willing his tongue to reach further inside of her dripping honeypot. He adjusted his grip from her thighs to her ass, squeezing much rougher than before, leaving fingermarks on her soft skin as he lifted her up to his mouth to attempt a better angle.

For almost an hour Henry serviced his lover, his mouth glistening with her mess as she came again and again, savouring every last drop of her juices. He alternated from her clit to her entrance, making her squirm and moan violently, tearing the fabric of the seat slightly as her whole body arched and shook from the overstimulation. Henry wished he could stay right here between her thighs until dawn, loving every aspect of pleasuring the gorgeous woman, from her taste to her sounds. Azrielle however felt like her heart might burst from her chest, eventually having to use her tail to pull Henry away as she found her arms too weak to do so. Henry obliged, though secretly disappointed for it to end. He took a moment to watch his lover half sat half lying, a messy puddle beneath her trembling smooth legs as she basked in the afterglow of her multiple orgasms.

Feeling suddenly protective of the petite woman, he got to his feet and scooped her up into his arms, laying her down on the seat with her head resting on his lap. Azrielle nuzzled against his lap, beginning to come down from her high, thanking Henry profusely between her heavy breaths. Using the last of her strength, she used her tail to fish out the blanket from the underseat storage, passing it to Henry who draped it carefully over her body. Henry began to run his hand along her head soothingly, enjoying how soft her silvery hair felt compared to his own. It didn't take long for Azrielle to slip into sleep, exhausted and feeling well and truly safe in her lover's embrace. Henry took a little longer to drift off however, cursing himself for not lying down alongside her like the night before, knowing his back would ache in the morning from remaining sat up all night. Steadily, his eyes grew heavier and the constant crackling of the fire more distant…

He awoke with a start, a blood curdling agonised noise sounding out from outside the carriage. Adrenaline coursed through his body instantly, panic gripping his chest as Azrielle shot up in surprise alongside him. From outside, a distressed whinny from one of the horses, followed quickly by the guttural beastly snarls of some unknown threat.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and congratulations to those patrons who voted for exploring the wild (heh) west and for Azrielle to return the favour!

Here's the lewd decision for patrons this week:

(Remember, you can support the story and vote for as little as 2 dollars a month at /SmutKnight as well as earning lots of extra goodies! 3)

How should the pair explore each other in the next chapter?

Have Azrielle use her natural aphrodisiac on Henry!

Have Azrielle use her natural aphrodisiac on herself!

Have Azrielle take control for a night; experiment with her (gentle) femdom side!

Have Henry take control for a night; see how the Az'kel enjoys being submissive!

Spend a night fucking and exploring multiple new positions!

Experiment with rough sex; Spanking, biting, hair pulling and more!


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